It Takes A Village
by KHaggie2020
Summary: After looking after Alex for a year, the Pleasures send Alex back to the UK..and back to MI6. There, they tell him he must stay with someone for "protection" but he knows it's really for them to keep tabs on him. So where do they send him? Well to Brecon Beacons of course! How does K-unit handle Alex and the effects his missions had on the boy? Set after Scorpia Rising.
1. Lost It All

**A/N- Hello! So this is my first story, and I know this is an overused plot, but I'm hoping that it becomes something unique. So please give it a chance! I cant guarantee when I will have chapters out exactly, but I will try my best. So please, read and review!**

 **Disclaimer- Not mine, not at all!**

He didn't mean to, and everyone knew it, but for Edward and Liz, it was the last straw. For weeks on end, they all had been struggling to help Alex. Even Alex himself was trying to improve, but kept having relapses. Edward and Liz were not equipped to deal with an ex-spy. It was Fourth Of July, the family was enjoying the nice weather on their back porch in San Francisco, watching Edward BBQ some burgers for dinner. Alex had seemed relaxed and content, sitting on a porch swing with his arm around Sabina. He smiled a small smile when he noticed Sab glancing at him every now and then.

"What?" He asked.

"Nothing,just...happy."Sab smiled

Alex didn't reply, his words drowned out by the start of the fireworks. He froze. His face turned pale and his hands started to shake. His vision blurred and all he could hear was each _boom_ of the fireworks. Sabina quickly turned to Alex when she realized something was wrong. She knew if she could just get him to his, admittedly conveniently placed, bedroom in their basement, where he would be unable to hear the loud, resounding cracks of the fireworks, she could help him calm down. But from past experiences, she knew it was a bad idea touch him when he got like this, the small scar on her mother's hand can attest to that. But she knew there was no other way, and he would only get worse, and deeper into a panic if she just let him sit here. She hesitantly reached out to touch one of his shaking hands. The reaction was instantaneous. Alex jumped off of his seat, sending the swing they were sitting on, and Sabina, flying backwards. With the fireworks still cracking in his mind, Alex couldn't tell friends from enemies. Edward noticed the commotion behind him and turned around, seeing the destruction, and realizing what was happening. He approached Alex as slowly as he could, his hands out in a placating gesture, to assure him he meant no harm. He tried talking to him, assuring him he was ok, and that no one was going to hurt him, and that if he just let him help, he can get him to a quiet room. Alex heard none of this. The sounds of the fireworks pushed all of his nightmares through his head as fast as a bullet train, his body reacting on survival mode. Edward got close enough to touch Alex. He reached out a hand, slowly, gently placed it on his shoulder. Alex reacted in the only way his mind could, and grabbed Edward's hand, flips him over his shoulder, breaking his wrist. Alex quickly turned around to face his next perceived threat-Sabina. She decided to try and yell over the fireworks. It doesn't work, it only sends more hectic dysfunction through Alex's panicked brain. He takes a few steps back, trying to make sense of all the noise. Liz, realizing what is happening, runs out from the kitchen, knowing these specific fireworks last exactly 10 minutes. They have only been going for 5. Sabina tries again in the few seconds of quiet between blasts to try and get to Alex.

"Alex! Please, it's me! Just relax!" Sab pleaded with him. She noticed a small amount of clarity return to his eyes, before the fireworks when off again, sending him back into the fog of terror. Sabina knew that if she just got another moment, she could get through to him again. Her wish was answered. Finally, after what seemed like ages, the fireworks stopped. Liz had run over to Edward to check him over, while Sab slowly approached a skittish Alex.

"Hey Alex, your ok", She muttered, keeping her voice low. Alex slowly starts to come back to his surroundings, looking around, his eyes settle on Liz leaning over Edward.

"Alex, hey look at me." Sab tries to get his attention. He still doesn't focus on her.

"Please, Alex!" She pleads. Finally, his eyes shift to her.

"Y-yeah?" He stumbles out.

"Let us get you to your room, ok?"

"Wait...your dad... I...I was the one who hurt him..right?".He looked down, knowing the answer.

"Let's get you to your room" Sabina sighed, avoiding the question. She helped him to his room, helping him sit on his bed.

"I...I'm sorry.." He breathed out, stunned with the knowledge of what he had done.

"It's ok, just rest ok?" Sabina let him lay down, then ran upstairs to see how her dad was doing. As she approached, she overheard their whispered conversation.

"We are unequipped to deal with this Edward! For Christ sake, your wrist is broken! You need to go to the hospital!" Liz exclaimed.

"Liz, please, calm down. We will deal with this, but we have to do this in a calm way. We can try and take him to a psychologist or something!" Edward exclaimed.

" We already tried a psychologist! He frightened the poor lady! Or he wouldn't talk to the other one!" Liz huffed out.

Edward sighed. "The only other option is to call you know..."

"I really didn't want to send him back to them, but we may have to..lets talk about this later, we need to get you medical attention." Sabina's mother looks up and sees her daughter standing there, and knows that she heard the whole conversation.

"Are you coming with us, or staying here?" Liz questioned her daughter.

"I'll stay with Alex, just in case," Sab stated. Her mother just nods.

* * *

Alex looks up when Sab comes downstairs, knowing that her parents were going to the hospital. He felt terrible. He knew he lost control, the control he fights to keep almost every day.

"Sab I-"

"Alex stop" She cuts him off, knowing he's already beating himself up. "It is ok. We should have known that the fireworks would.." she trailed off, watching him pick at the hem of the blanket on his bed.

"But still, I can't lose control like that... I could _kill_ you guys! It would not be that hard. I, I shouldn't be here. I don't belong.."

"Alex, please. I need you here." She pleaded, knowing it was hopeless. Alex had already made up his mind, and it seemed like her mom had as well.

"Sab, I'm gonna hurt you one day, and I don't want that to happen. Please, just let me have my space tonight ok?" He asked her.

"Fine, but this conversation isn't over." Sabina left, walking to her room. Alex turned over in his bed, facing the wall, not wanting to go back to MI6, but knowing he couldn't stay with the Pleasures, as he may seriously hurt them one day. He finally fell into a fitful sleep.

* * *

The next morning, Alex woke up to the Pleasures in the kitchen discussing something in whispered tones. He knew they were discussing him. He listened for a minute or so before making his presence known by stepping heavily into the entryway and then into the kitchen.

"Morning" he mumbled, starting to make some toast.

"Alex, we need to talk," Edward said gently, hoping to placate Alex.

"About what?" Alex questioned, playing dumb. He knows exactly what they are going to say.

"Come sit Alex, please." Liz requested gently. Alex walked over with his toast, sitting down across from Mr. and Mrs. Pleasure, next to Sabina.

"We have been thinking, and please don't think we are just throwing you away, but we just, we don't think we are equipped to take care of you. There are things that we have no idea how to approach, and we feel someone who knows or has your...background..may be able to take care of you better than we can." Edward regrettably mumbled out quickly. Alex looked down, knowing this was coming, but hearing it coming directly from them hurt still. He didn't say anything, just nodded.

"Alex, please say something" Sab whispered, holding his hand under the table.

He stayed quiet for another minute before slowly saying, "If that is your choice, then I respect that. When do I go back?" He inquired hesitantly.

"Tomorrow. We already called Mrs. Jones. The flight is all paid for. 9 am flight, first class. Someone will pick you up at the airport. We are truly sorry Alex, we wish this could have worked out.." Edward sighed.

" Yeah, me too," Alex muttered, wondering where he was going to be placed now.


	2. The Edge

**A/N- Wow! _Thank_ you so much for all the feedback you all have given! It is truly motivating. So here's the next chapter! Let me know what you think. Also, let me know what you think about the lyrics before/after the chapter. If it is something you like and would like me to keep doing it, or if you don't like it, please let me know. It may not happen every chapter, but let me know what ya think.**

 **Also warning for literally just this whole story- I am American, so if you see anything that is not something that happens or is not said or anything of the sort, please _kindly_ let me know. I have picked up a lot from reading other fics on here, but things may slip. Thanks!**

 **Disclaimer- Nope, Natta.**

* * *

 _Feels like I'm on the edge right now,_

 _I wish that I could say I'm proud,_

 _I'm sorry that I let you down,_

 _All these voices in my head get loud,_

 _I wish I could shut them out,_

 _I'm sorry that I let you down_

-NF- Let You Down

* * *

Alex was up early the next morning, packing his stuff before everyone else was up. He packed slowly, thinking over his time spent at the Pleasures, and of all the mistakes he had made, beating himself up for them. Thinking about what he could have done differently. A quick, intrusive thought of _what if I never survived this long to be a bother to them,_ crept into his mind before he shook his head to get rid of it. By the time he was done, he heard everyone up and getting ready for the day. He took a deep breath, then went into the kitchen. There, everyone seemed to have grim smiles, hiding the truth behind the morning. They exchanged 'good mornings' and Alex sat down with his breakfast. He ate it mechanically, not really tasting the eggs and toast Liz gave him. He didn't say much as he washed his plate and went upstairs to get changed.

At 7:30 am, they all piled into the car and headed to the airport. The car was silent as they got onto the highway, Alex staring out the window. Sabina sat next to him, trying to tell him that he could come visit whenever he got the chance. But Alex knew that if Blunt and Jones had their way with him, he won't have any time for himself, let alone to visit them.

They pulled up to the airport and Edward got out to help him get his luggage out. All it consisted of was a large duffle and a backpack. He said his goodbyes quickly, then made his way through security. After moving through security he made his way to where his plane would board. He sat down, and pulled out his laptop, checking the time in London. It was about 3:30 pm. He pulled out his phone and sent a quick text to his best friend, Tom, letting him know he was heading back "home". He was positive as soon as he landed he would be whisked away to the Royal and General, so there would be no time to see him. After about 20 minutes, the terminal he was sat in had started to get busier, and he could feel the glances of some of the passengers. He knew he was a sight. A 15-year-old traveling to another county alone? Definitely something that didn't happen every day. He ignored the stares and messed around on his laptop some more until it was time to board. He got even more stares as he boarded in first class. He got himself settled for the long flight and closed his eyes.

* * *

When the plane landed, Alex collected his stuff, then disembarked the plane, slowly, just to spite whoever to was here to pick him up. _I feel like a teenager_ Alex snorted. As he stepped off the plane and into the tunnel, he knew that he definitely was not a teenager anymore, no matter what his age said about him. He walked toward baggage claim, taking his time. He checked the screens for his flight to see what conveyer his bag would come out of and stood to wait, playing on his phone for some time, but still on high alert. To any passerby, he looked like a regular teenage boy, glued to his phone. In reality, his was barely focused on his phone, more focused on every person who passed him. Eventually, the alarm sounded at the conveyor he was standing next to, and the bags started to roll out. After about three minutes, he saw his bag and grabbed it from the belt. He turned around from baggage claim and saw that the airport had gotten much more busier. _Great,_ he thought to himself, _I hate crowds._ He knew crowds helped him when he wanted to disappear, but when he was just casually walking? He despised them. He felt trapped like he couldn't get out. He had mentioned it to the Pleasures once and they freaked out, taking him to psychiatrists. _Is it that big of a deal?_ He thought to himself. He took a deep breath and started walking. He looked at all the people holding signs for this family and that family, knowing that whoever was picking him up would not have that much humor. He kept looking as he walked, a frown creeping onto his face. _Where is this person?_ He thought. When he reached the end of the building and still hadn't found the agent, he was positive another agent, if not two or three, were coming to pick him up, he looked out the doors. He was going to go outside until he noticed it was raining. He watched a few people run through the rain, lost in thought when a hand came down on his shoulder. He grabbed the hand and was ready to attack when a familiar voice pierced his brain.

"Alex! Wait!" The voice wasn't exactly yelling but was drawing attention to them. Alex stopped attacking the person and looked up to see none other than Ben Daniels standing there, approaching the pair slowly. One wrong move and the arm of the agent would be snapped. Alex let the agent go after a minute, surveying his surroundings for other threats. He saw Ben sigh in relief when no one got hurt. Ben approached Alex, then after a moment's hesitation, pulled him into an embrace.

"It's good to see you boy" Ben laughed, letting Alex go.

"Its good to see you to Ben," Alex remarked, his eyes still wearily hanging on the other agents, who were watching their reunion.

"Let's get you back, ok? The heads are...eager to see you" Ben muttered quietly, the second half of his statement sounding almost sarcastic. Alex just nodded, already figuring that he would be immediately taken to see Blunt.

Alex, Ben and the two other agents piled into the car and drove to the bank. The ride was quiet, no one daring the say a word.

* * *

When they arrived, the car pulled up, and Alex and Ben stepped out. Alex hesitated at the sidewalk, still having issues at the spot where he was shot. _I should be over this_ he berated himself, slowly stepping around the small, dark spot that is permanently on the ground. He felt Ben's hand on his arm, reassuring him, and gently leading him, into the bank. Ben just smiled at the receptionist, and lead Alex to a small, secluded elevator to the left. He pressed the button to call the elevator and then waited. They only needed to wait about a minute before the elevator arrived, and they stepped in. At once, Alex was tense. The elevator was smaller than the usual public ones, and while he trusted Ben, being confined in a small area with no exit, even for only a few short seconds, sent all his instincts on haywire.

Ben felt Alex tense next to him as soon as the elevator doors closed. He frowned slightly, knowing many senior agents who have the same reaction. Why would a child, who has only done one mission have the same reaction as agents who have done many missions? Ben tried to reason it, but the elevator dinged, and the doors opened. He tried not to think much into the reason of why Alex all but threw himself out of the elevator as soon as the doors were open.

They walk up to Blunt's door and before heading in, Alex takes a deep breath, rolls back his shoulders, and conjures up an air of confidence he knows is fake. Without even knocking, he pushes the door open and sees Mrs. Jones startle. He smirks internally, glad to get a reaction. Blunt does nothing but stares at him with cold, hard eyes. He even gives Alex a small smile that would make the Grinch's skin crawl.

" Well hello Alex" Blut drawls, voice even and bored.

"Hello Blunt" Alex hisses, not trying to hide his displeasure.

"You are here because the Pleasures have deemed themselves..inadequate to take care of you. And since you are a minor, you cannot stay by yourself. It would be half impossible seeing as your house has been sold." Alex tried to argue, but Blunt kept talking over him, ignoring Alex. Ben stood by the door, knowing this was going to go like this, but still hated it. Hated the way the heads of MI6 treated the boy, how they beat him down and twisted things around.

"And since it would be dangerous to let you live on your own with all the enemies you have made", Blunt continued, "we have made some arrangements. And the previous statements of where you can go if you do not like these arrangements are still on the table Alex." Blunt gave no room for Alex to argue. Ben saw Alex cave into himself, defeated. The previous confidence, no matter how sham, was gone. Swept away by the big man in a bland grey suit jacket that matched his personality. Ben knew it was unfair, but stood by the door, arms behind his back, at ease, and kept his mouth shut, knowing that the moment he opened it, nothing good would come of it, and the boy would just be put in a worse situation.

"So where are you dumping me?" Alex hopelessly muttered into his hoodie.

"You will go back to Brecon Beacons, and train with K-unit again. This will give you time to hone your skills, and maybe learn some new ones" Blunt stated, no emotion in his dark eyes or voice.

Alex all but jumped out of his seat, ready to argue, but Blunt threatened him again with 'previous statements'. _Whatever that means_ Ben thinks. But he knows it isn't a good omen. He knows none of this is right but bites his tongue. He watches as Alex collapses back into his seat, defeated by the threat.

"Now that that has been arranged, Agent Daniels will see you to your destination. Daniels, please stay, we need to talk. Alex, please wait outside the door."Bunt ordered. Alex tried to put up a fight again but was shot down. He walked out of the room, head hung.

"Agent Daniels, you will be staying with Alex at Brecon Beacons. While there, you will train with him and your old unit and recover from your injury, but you will also keep tabs on him. I want to know all about this progress. Physical and mental. The reports from the psychiatrists he saw in the States say he is unstable. I want to know if these reports can be trusted." Blunt commanded.

"Yes sir" Ben accepted his orders, not liking them at all. _Unstable? No wonder! He's 15 for Christ Sakes!_ Ben thought to himself, knowing a dismissal when he hears one.

* * *

Ben saw Alex sitting outside of the head's office, and walked up to him, sighing.

"Come on" Ben muttered, knowing dragging this out will just make things worse. Both Alex and Ben got into an inconspicuous looking black car, with Ben at the wheel. They would drive most of the way, then a little ways out, they would stop at an outpost where an agent would drive the car back into the city, and be picked up by a jeep and be driven the rest of the way.

Alex got into the passenger seat, glad that no other agents were coming with them, small blessings. He got himself situated before looking out the window, glad Ben wasn't trying to talk to him. As he watched them get farther and farther from the hustle of the city, his eyes drooped, and he fell asleep.

Ben kept driving, keeping his eye on his charge, a small frown on his face. Ben Daniels generally doesn't believe in angels, but in that moment, he sent a small prayer to whoever was listening. _Angels, please don't give up on this boy._

* * *

 _I guess I'm a disappointment,_

 _Doing everything I can, I don't want to make you disappointed_

 _It's annoying,_

 _I just want to make you feel like everything_

 _I did for wasnt every tryna make an issue for you_

 _But I guess the more you thought about everything_

 _You were never even wrong in the first place, right?_

 _Yeah, I'm just ignore you._

-NF-Let You Down


	3. (Can't) Bite My Tongue

**A/N- Hi guys! Thank you so much for all the reviews! Please keep them coming! I love hearing everything you have to say- from your love of this story to your predictions!**

 **I'm not very happy with the middle of this chapter, but you will have to let me know what you think. Also, I got mixed reviews on the lyrics, so I'm trying them out again, and we will see if you guys have any other objections.**

 **Disclaimer- Sadly, not mine.**

 **Without further ado, enjoy!**

* * *

 _You say I am privileged, but_

 _My gift is my curse._

 _I can't recall the last time,_

 _someone asking how I was_

-You Me At Six: Bite My Tongue

* * *

Ben was surprised that Alex slept pretty much the whole way. He knew that meant that Alex held some sort of trust in the man. He felt really bad when he had to wake the boy up from his deep, but uncomfortable looking slumber. Ben was wary about shaking the boy, seeing as he reacted the way many other agents did, so he opted to try just and wake Alex up by calling his name.

"Alex", Ben called softly, not wanting to startle the boy. When that didn't work, he frowned. He knew that if this was Eagle or Wolf, he would throw caution to the wind, and just throw something at them to wake them up. But this was a delicate situation. He had already seen what the kid could do when startled.

"Alex" Ben called a little louder, seeing him start to rouse. Alex blinked his eyes open, then sat up straight, alert. Ben frowned again, he seemed to be doing that a lot around the boy. That's _not a normal reaction when waking_ Ben thought. What kid wakes up, then is instantly on alert, scanning the area for threats? Ben shook his head and got their bags from out of the trunk.

* * *

They only needed to wait about 15 minutes when their ride to Brecon Beacons came rambling up. Alex sighed, picking his bags up and depositing them into the back while Ben conversed quickly with the driver. After the driver double checked that they were both who they said they were, they jumped in. Ben sat in the front, while Alex basically crouched in the back, hanging onto the bars of the stripped jeep as they bounced over the rocks and hills. Alex watched the scenery whip by, pondering both the driver and Ben's reaction if he were to just jump out of the moving vehicle. When he came back to the present, he wondered where that train of thought came from. _Must be the lack of sleep...and food._ He thought, feeling his stomach protest the lack of nourishment. The last time he ate was breakfast with the Pleasures, probably close to twenty-four hours ago now.

When they pulled up, a stern looking man stood before them and waited while they retrieved their bags from the jeep. When both Ben and Alex stood before the man, he started talking.

" I understand your situation here is...peculiar. But, above all, from what I understand, you are both here to train. Understand this is not a babysitting service" This he directed specifically at Alex, who stood tall against the man's assault, staring straight ahead.

"You will both bunk with K-unit. They know of your presence, but no more. I understand that much surrounding Cub is top secret, and I am bound by what _I_ can and cannot tell the unit, and everyone else here." Alex internally sighed in relief. No having to answer questions he really doesn't want to answer.

"K-unit is currently out on drill but will be back before dinner. I advise you to go directly to your bunk and claim a bed and get settled before they get back." The Sargent finally finished his speech, and walked away, having many other issues to deal with. Ben and Alex picked up their stuff and headed to the cabin that K-unit resides in.

Ben smiles with nostalgia when they walked in. The only thing that had changed was the extra bed shoved into the far corner for Alex. Ben put his stuff on his old bed, and collapsed onto it, sighing.

"Home, sweet home" he muttered, staring at the ceiling.

Alex cautiously walked to the only bed that didn't look like someone was using- the one that was shoved into a tight corner. On one hand, his back and left side would be to a wall, so no one could sneak up on him. His right side was covered by someone's bed. By the look of the books that were scattered on it, probably Snake. The downside was that he was the farthest from the door, and the closest window was two beds down. He was basically trapped. This made him panic slightly. He tried to extinguish it by taking deep breaths. He sat down on his bed and started to unpack and put away the very few things he brought to help ground himself. He glanced up and noticed Ben was just lying on his bed, making him smile slightly. He knew the man was tired. They had driven straight through without stopping. Must have been Blunt's orders. He didn't mean to stare at him, but Alex got lost in his thoughts. He mused that, while he really didn't know him that well, Ben was a good guy. If Alex knew him better, he may even call him the big brother he never had.

* * *

The sound of footsteps on the wooden front porch leading to the cabin shook Alex out of his head, and Ben out of his slumber. Ben sat up, rubbed his eyes and stood. Half of him was trying to greet his old unit with open arms and gauge their attitudes, and the other half was to create a buffer between them and Alex, especially if they were not in all that great of moods. Alex waited, holding his breath. This was it. The moment that could possibly decide how the undecided amount of time he was here would go. The door creaked open, a voice, weary from the day, drifted in.

" Yeah, yeah yeah. Save it Eagle. " Wolf grumbled as he strode into the cabin. He stopped when he saw Ben standing there, a sly smirk on the man's face.

" Hey Wolf-man" Ben quipped, taking a step forward, still mindful to hide Alex behind him.

"Fox! " Wolf cheered, and to Alex's surprise, walked up and embraced each other, clapping each other's backs before breaking apart, the other two men present following suit. That's when they noticed Alex.

"Uh..hi...Cub.." Eagle stumbled out, not sure how to respond to the 15-year-old they all but tortured the last time he was here. Alex just nodded, still trying to feel out the situation. Wolf ignored the teenager, opting to sit on his bunk, the closets to the door, and start looking over some papers. Ben sat on his bed and conversed quietly with Eagle. Snake slowly walked over to his bunk, which was situated right next to Alex's.

"Hey Cub" Snake greeted softly, hoping to placate any ill feelings the boy had since last time. And, if what the Sargent was allowed to tell them was true, the poor kid was in need of a kind word or two.

"Hi" Alex greeted back, blunt and to the point, glancing at Wolf, who was scowling at his papers, just waiting for the man to explode. Snake didn't know what else to say to the boy, so he went back to reading his books. Alex took out a book of his own and started reading as well.

* * *

It was time for dinner, and Alex was ravenous but was feeling slightly nauseous at the idea of facing a mess hall filled with SAS men. Men who hated the fact he was here. They all stood up, pulled their boots on and walked out the door, Alex following last, Wolf leading, much like he does. Eagle trailed behind Wolf, with Snake behind him. Wolf threw open the door, making his presence known. The mess hall was a loud, rambunctious place, especially since both the recruits and senior units were in camp at the same time. Alex heard the commotion before the door was even open. He tensed, not liking this at all. He walked through the door, his senses heightened, on overload.

Wolf strode forward, not caring that Alex seemed to be having a difficult time, and walked to pick up a tray. Eagle followed him, getting his food and finding a bench to sit in the busy mess. Snake looked behind him, seeing Alex hesitate at the door, but thought maybe he was just slightly overwhelmed. He turned back to go get his tray. Fox stayed close to Alex, knowing the very first time he was here, he himself was overwhelmed at the hustle and bustle of the mess hall. But what he saw in Alex was more than just a little bit of being overwhelmed. Alex looked like he had been electrocuted, his body on fire. He fidgeted, not standing still in the line that had formed to get food.

Alex was having a hard time. Everything was too much. It was too loud, too bright. He heard the sneers from the other soldiers about him as he walked by. This was hell. He just wanted to run outside and get some fresh air, he felt like he was going to only reason he didn't bolt from the room was because Ben stood behind him. He picked up his tray with shaking hands and barely suppressed a flinch when the stern looking man handing out dinner violently slapped the sludge onto his tray and gave him a sneer. Alex, finally steeling himself, walked quickly to where most of K-unit sat, Ben trailing behind him. The whispers, sneers and outright shouting followed him the whole way. He found a seat between Eagle and Ben, across from Snake and Wolf. Wolf was ignoring him, talking to the unit that was sitting right next to them. He tried to stomach as much as the sludge the camp tried to call food as he could handle before pushing his tray away. Snake looked at his mostly uneaten food with a look of concern but doesn't say anything. Alex stood, dropped his tray off at the kitchen, and hurried out, hearing Ben not far behind.

Alex walked as quickly as he could to the hut, head down, hoping not to run into anyone who was late to dinner. He bursts into their cabin, heading straight for his bed, wanting nothing more than to curl up and slip into oblivion. He flopped onto his bed, not wanting to deal with Ben, who stomped into the cabin a few seconds after him. Why can't he just be left alone? _Why can't they see I'm struggling_ crept into Alex's mind as well.

"Alex?" Ben questioned the boy, just seeing his shape underneath the covers, and his blonde hair poking out at the top of them. When he got no response, he walked, heavily, towards the bed.

"Can we talk?" Ben knew Cub was still awake by the rate of his breathing. When he didn't receive an answer again, he gave up. If Alex didn't want to help himself, there was nothing Ben could do.

* * *

15 minutes later, the rest of K-unit returns from dinner, all caught up in some joke. They find Ben sitting on his bunk, reading. Only Snake notices Cub's small figure covered in his bed.

"Wheres the brat?" Wolf practically growls

"Wolf-" Ben starts but is cut off.

"What? Rich brat cant take some joking?" Everyone in the mess hall heard what the other soldiers were yelling at Alex as he walked by, Wolf seemed to be the only one in the cabin that didn't care about the teen that was not responding at all. Even after Wolf's interaction with Alex at Point Blanc, Wolf seems to still have a vendetta against the boy.

"Wolf, just let him rest." Snake, ever the peacemaker, placates from his bed, keeping an eye on the boy. He can tell Alex is still not asleep and is listening to the whole conversation.

"We have a long day tomorrow, we should all probably get some rest" Eagle, despite his usual childish demeanor, mutters seriously.

"Yeah, sure, whatever" Wolf relents, flopping down on his bunk, pulling his boots off and lying down, falling asleep within minutes.

* * *

The next morning, Alex is awoken by Wolf shouting angrily at him to get his "sorry, worthless, rich ass outta bed or so help him". _What a way to start the day._ Alex grumbled to himself, sitting up in bed, seeing everyone but Eagle was awake, who Wolf had his target locked onto next, and getting dressed. Alex stood, stretched, and faced the wall as he got changed quickly, not wanting to make Wolf any angrier. He pulled on his boots and ran out the door behind Eagle, who was also moving slowly that morning. They all met at the base of a trail to start a morning run. _Fun_ Alex muttered to himself, looking up to the sky, betting by the time they got back it would be raining. As they started up the trail, Alex decided he was going to stay in the middle of the unit, keeping pace with Ben. Wolf had other ideas. Wolf decided he was going to run right up behind Alex and step on the back of his boots to make him go faster.

"Run faster Cub!" Wolf shouted nastily into his ear. Alex just rolled his eyes, and put on some speed, knowing that he wouldn't be able to keep this pace throughout the whole run but decided to placate Wolf for the time being. Alex noticed up ahead that the trail widened. He hoped that he could sidestep Wolf, and slip behind the angry man. As they reached the wider part of the trail, Alex went to step to the right, only to have his ankle get caught on a rock, effectively tripping the boy up. He landed hard, leaving him winded as another rock dug into his ribs. He heard Wolf laugh at him, and while passing him, shout "better keep up ya rich maggot!"Alex sighed. It was only the first day. He already wanted to jump off the cliff the trail had become. As he rolled onto his back, a hand was thrust in front of his face to help him up. He followed the hand to its owners face. To his surprise, it was Snake.

"Need some help?" The man offered. Alex took the offered hand hesitantly and was hoisted up to his feet. He dusted himself off and started off again next to Snake. Before he could ask, Snake answered his question.

"It was agreed long ago that I was the one that would hang back during our runs, in case something went wrong or someone got hurt." Snake huffed out. Alex remembered that Snake was also the medic of the unit. Alex just nodded to Snake's explanation.

As they caught up to the rest of the unit, Alex could see Ben in the back, who would look over his shoulder every few steps. Alex sighed, still wishing he could just be in bed.

* * *

By the time they got back, their PT instructor stood in a clearing, hands on his hips in silent disapproval. Wolf's need to terrorize Alex had slowed down the unit and they had taken longer to complete their run.

"What the hell took you so long?!", the large man shouted, the unit stood in front of the man, heads down. Before anyone had a chance to answer his question, he continued. "I don't care! Now let's start!" The instructor made them go through an hour of push-ups, crunches, burpees, mountain climbers and more, pushing each member to their limit.

Alex's arms were jelly, his breath came in ragged pants, and he felt like he was going to die. His head spun as he did yet another push-up, and groaned when the instructor yelled "again!". Alex thought he was going to die, his chest felt like it was going rip apart. His lungs were burning, and everything hurt, but there was a very acute point just left of center on his chest that demanded his attention. He tried to push all of this out of his mind as the instructor made them pull themselves out of the dirt and do jumping jacks.

* * *

After what felt like forever, K-unit was allowed to head to breakfast.

"I'm actually gonna die!" Eagle cried, dramatically staggering and throwing himself to the ground, making a dust angel.

"You're not going to die Eagle, get up." Snake rolled his eyes at Eagles antics, humming at the childish soldier.

"We wouldn't have been late if it wasn't for Cub!" Wolf sneered, the bulking man rounding on the smaller teen. Alex had had enough.

"Me?! _I_ was the one who made us late?! _Your_ the one who was up my ass the whole time Wolf! All because you have some strife against me that I don't even know what for! So why don't you look at yourself before blaming everything on me!" Alex screamed in Wolf's face, to the surprise of all of K-unit, and the few other soldiers who were in the clearing as well. Before Wolf could retaliate, Alex stalked off to the cabin, not wanting to deal with the sneers and harsh words he would be receiving at the mess hall, needing some quiet and time to calm down. He threw open the door to the cabin, slamming it behind him, stomping to his bed and flops onto his bunk. He knows he needs to eat, his stomach feels like it is going to rip itself out of his body and find its own food, but he cant deal with the noise of the mess hall right now. He looks at his watch, and then his timetable. If he goes within the last 10 minutes, he can shovel some food into his mouth, and then meet K-unit at the assault course.

* * *

Ben watched Alex storm off, knowing he should follow him, but also knowing that if two members are unconscious due to lack of nutrition, then things will be even worse. Ben and Snake follow behind Eagle, and Wolf storming ahead of all of them.

"He needs to eat" Snake mutters, worried about their youngest member. Ben nods in agreement. Wolf seems to be on the warpath, as he rounds on them.

"If he doesn't come to eat, it is his own fault. If he passes out on the assault course, then that is his own problem. Now get inside and get breakfast! I will not have the rest of my unit insufficient because of a worthless _brat._ " Wolf barrages inside the mess hall, grabbing his tray and sitting down, shoveling the food into his mouth.

* * *

Alex glances at his watch, noting it is time to leave if he wants to eat. He quickly makes his way over to the mess hall, and walks inside, sighing in relief when there is next to no one there. But there is basically no food there either. Alex takes what he can, but knows it is not enough to sustain him. He sighs, used having to deal with even less, he shovels the food into his mouth, then runs to the course, where Wolf glares daggers at him. _Maybe if Wolf wasn't such an asshole I wouldn't be in this situation to start with_ Alex thought to himself, glaring right back at Wolf. The instructor explains that they will each go through the course by themselves until they can do it under a time of 15 minutes, then they will do it as a team until they can do it under a time of 15 minutes as well. Eagle, Snake, Ben, and Wolf all make it under the time. Alex, who has only run the course one other time, finishes the course in 20 minutes and is forced to do it again. And again, and again. By his fifth time through, Alex is already feeling lightheaded but is forced to run it again. As he jumps up to grab hold of the monkey bars, he feels something in his chest pull, and blackness covers his vision. He doesn't even feel himself hit the ground.

* * *

 _Last I checked I was a fucking wreck,_

 _I called for help and no one showed up_

 _So I sit in the dirt._

-You Me At Six: Bite My Tongue


	4. In The Mud

**A/N- Hey guys! So I'm so sorry this took so long. I didn't have a lot of time to write this past week. Hopefully, I will be able to get the next chapter out much sooner, considering the next half of this week will be very busy.**

 **Also a warning- Next week I go back to school (ugggggggg) and so updates may not be as quick. I'm still hoping to aim for a chapter a week, since all my classes are in the morning mostly, and writing here is a good stress relief!**

 **Thank you to everyone who reviewed the previous chapter! You guys keep me motivated, and I love seeing your comments, opinions, and predictions.**

 **Also, you may notice there are no lyrics for this chapter. I couldn't find the right ones, so I just omitted them. I did write to the song Gift Of Paralysis by Envy on the Coast if you would like to give it a listen though.**

 **Disclaimer- Not mine.**

 **So without further ado, Enjoy!**

* * *

Wolf was the only one, at first, to notice Alex plummet off the course. Wolf thought, at first, the kid was tricking him, pulling a joke. He didn't think it was funny. After a minute or so passed, and the kid still hadn't jumped to his feet, he frowned.

"Guys?" Wolf called to the rest of his unit, who were talking in a huddle just to his left, not watching Cub go through the course for the fifth time.

"Yeah, Wolf?" Fox called, curious.

"Umm, I lost sight of Cub", Wolf grounded out, knowing he will be really pissed if the kid is pulling a joke. The unit started looking over the course, trying to find Alex.

"Snake! Get over here!" Eagle yelled, from underneath the monkey bars, which were situated about 10 feet above a mud pit. Snake ran over to where he heard Eagle's voice, seeing the man crouching in the mud and putting the pieces together.

"Shit! Wolf! We found him!" Snake ran over to Eagle, sliding down on the other side of the pale teen. Wolf ran over after hearing Snake shout for him. The way the man had yelled told Wolf everything he needed to know- something happened, and it was bad. As Wolf ran up to the scene, he realized what had happened. Alex must have either slipped off the monkey bars, which is what the mud pit is there for, or he passed out, his body giving out on him. Wolf had a sinking suspicion that it was the latter. He heard Fox run up behind him.

"Oh shit!" Ben exclaimed, watching Snake examine the boy, who was laying in the freezing mud.

* * *

The first thing Alex was aware of was distorted voices speaking, possibly yelling, above him. Then he felt someone tugging at his eyelids, which sent him into a panic. He tried to push the offender away, but his arms would not cooperate. He heard the voices yelling again, but he could not understand what they were saying. He felt someone hold onto his wrist, presumably taking his pulse.

* * *

Snake tried to see if Cub's pupils were dilated, but the boy was slowly becoming more conscious and was fighting him. He noticed Alex try to raise his arm to push him away, but his body was not working the way he wanted to. He took the boy's pulse, frowning.

"Whats wrong?" Eagle asked, still kneeling on the other side.

" He's tackycardic*...125 bpm. Fox, radio into the infirmary. Tell them a unit member is down on the course, and we are trying to get him off." Snake then feels down Alex's arms and legs and at his joints for anything broken. He sighs in relief. "Nothing broken."

* * *

Alex couldn't shake himself out of the dark blanket he was stuck in. He could hear voices above him still but couldn't understand them. He needed to get up, but his body just was not listening to him. What if he was in danger? He needed to move, _now._

* * *

Snake felt Alex tense, probably trying to get his muscles to work, but nothing else happened.

"Fox, come here. He knows you best, talk to him, keep him calm. I think he's panicking." Snake muttered, still taking vitals on the boy. Fox nodded, kneeling down at Alex's head, not caring about the mud at the moment.

"Alex? Hey can you hear me?" Fox called softly, knowing the boy must be trying to get his wits about him as quickly as possible. He heard his radio crackle to life, a static voice answering his previous call with "Fox, are you still on the course?"

"Yes, we are still on the course, he is still unconscious", Fox looked over to Snake, then decided the best course of action was to let Snake talk to the infirmary, he handed the radio over to him.

Snake took the radio from Fox, then gave his report into it."He is still unconscious, but I think he may be starting to come to. I think he may have a concussion, but I cant check his pupils as he keeps fighting me. No broken bones."

* * *

Alex was fighting to get rid of the darkness that covered him. Every now and then, he could distinguish a word or two, but the rest was jumbled.

"Fox...here...best...him..calm..panicking" he heard a voice say to someone farther away. _I am_ not _panicking!_ He wanted to say, still trying to get his limbs to move. He heard some more voices he didn't recognize, that sounded like it came from a speaker, and then the first voice speaking back to them, giving them some medical jargon..something about a unit member down on the course? Possible concussion? Then it all hit him. He remembered what happened, and the pain in his chest came back. With a vengeance.

* * *

As Snake was relaying his findings to the doctor at the infirmary, Wolf and Eagle were trying to decide how to get Alex off the course. The grounds of the whole camp were muddy and slick from the rain that had pounded down the last few days. The infirmary staff was going to send out a golf cart to bring them in, but the tires kept getting stuck in the mud. Fox still knelt over Alex, who seemed to be more awake by the minute, but was still having difficulties being fully conscious. He may not be the medic, but he knew that was not a good sign. He also saw, every now and then, the boy wince. Snake had said the boy had no visible injuries, so what could be hurting him? His head?

" Alex, can you tell me where it hurts?"Fox asked softly, knowing if the boy really did have a concussion, speaking loudly would not sound pleasant to him. Alex made a groaning noise, and his eyelids fluttered. Snake walked back over, shaking his head.

"There is no way they can get a cart out here. So either we are gonna have to carry him, or he's gonna have to walk." Snake muttered, seeing Eagle and Wolf come back with no luck either.

"He is waking up," Fox told Snake, motioning to Alex's still flickering eyelids. Snake just nodded, watching Alex closely.

* * *

Alex could now tell who was above him. K-unit. He could relax some. He wasn't in any pressing danger, no madman about to try and kill him while he was incapacitated. If only he could open his eyes. He tried for what seemed like ages with no luck. Then, someone was at his eyes again, pulling them open. He tried to thrash his head, but someone else was holding it still so the person, probably Snake, could look. When the person got his right eye halfway open, he saw he was right. He saw a blurry Snake leaning over him, with a concentrated frown, looking down at him. Snake let go of his right eye, then moved onto his left, giving it the same treatment.

"Neither eyes are dilated. He may actually not have a head injury." Alex noted Snake sounded surprised. He tried opening his eyes on his own, getting halfway there until the blinding daylight made him close them again, and throw his hand in front of his face, albeit a little uncoordinated. Finally, Alex got his eyes all the way open and saw Snake's concerned face right in front of him, a little too close. He went to flinch back, only to run right into Fox, who was supporting him in a sitting position. A quick look around, and he saw Wolf and Eagle standing a little way away to his left.

"Come on, let's see if he can walk" He heard Snake inform Fox, and then someone's arms, probably Fox's, were under his armpits, and lifting him to his feet before he could say anything. They stayed there as he swayed, trying to get the fluid in his ears to stabilize. When he could pretty much stay on his feet, Fox took his arm and put it around his neck in case Alex stumbled, he would be able to catch him, and the unit walked off, heading towards camp.

It wasn't a hard walk, the mud made it a little difficult, but all five members were very fit, which is why it was discerning that Alex was slightly out of breath as they reached the clearing in the center of camp. Snake strode forward and opened the door to the infirmary so Fox could help Alex through. As soon as they made it through the doors, they were attacked by nurses and doctors. A nurse grabbed Alex and separated him from Fox. Alex gave a startled shout, not expecting to be grabbed by an unknown person. He suppressed the instinct to lash out at the nurse, and let himself be dragged to an exam room, Snake not far behind, the rest of the unit not permitted to follow.

* * *

What seemed like an eternity later, Snake walked out into the waiting room, without Alex. Fox is the first one to his feet, ready to fire questions at the medic.

"What's going on," Wolf asked before Fox even had a chance.

Snake sighed, and rubbed the back of his neck, the only show of weariness the soldier showed."We are gonna have to talk" Snake muttered, sitting down across from his unit, sensing the tension. "Overall, Cubs gonna be fine. They're gonna get him some food, and they're giving him some fluids now just to be safe, and getting his temperature to normal ranges."

"It was low?" Eagle cut in.

"It wasn't dangerously low, but they're not taking any chances", Snake informed the man. "He doesn't have a concussion, which is good. The doctor determined he lost consciousness before he fell, so the doctor did a full physical exam. What he found..." Snake trails off, obviously bothered by whatever had happened in the back. The unit knows Snake has seen a lot in terms of injuries, but to see the man this bothered, it had to be bad.

"What was wrong with him?" Fox asked softly, needing to know what MI6 did to the boy.

"He was absolutely _covered_ in scars. His front and his back were littered with them. There were _burn_ marks on his back and shoulders. They didn't even look that old. But that was not the worst. The worst was that he had a bullet wound, pretty much right above his heart. Musta had the luck of the devil to somehow miss it. The doctor said it didn't heal right. The scar tissue was inflamed and irritated. Which means the wound wasn't given _time_ to heal..." Snake let what he just discovered sink in.

"Are you saying that Cub didn't get any medical leave? After basically getting shot in the heart?" Eagle sputtered. Snake nodded.

"The doctor, much against what Cub wanted, took a closer look at the wound. I basically had to sit on the kid to let the doctor look at him to start with, let alone look at his chest. He wasn't just shot with some pistol in a firefight.", Snake took a deep breath, obviously deeply disturbed by the revelation. "He was _sniped."_ Snake gasped out.

No one answered him. Fox looked like he was actually going to be sick, Eagle had a look of horror on his face, and Wolf had a look of silent, controlled rage.

"The doctor determined, and after trying to extract some information from Cub, that Cub was pushed a little too far, and while on the monkey bars, had pulled at the wound. The pain was so intense, combined with exhaustion from running the course five times, and not eating enough today, he blacked out." Snake ended, sighing. Wolf looked at his feet, taking some blame for what happened.

"So what is going to happen now?" Fox asked hesitantly.

"After his fluids are done, he is free to go, but he is to rest for the rest of the day. Tomorrow he is allowed to join us but is to take it easy. By the end of the week, he should be back to a full schedule. We just need to make sure from here on out, he eats every meal." Snake answered.

Fox had grown increasingly angry, now pacing, as Snake talked. He was fidgeting with his hands and muttering obscenities under his breath that no one couldn't understand. Wolf got increasing annoyed with Fox's lack of restraint.

"Sit down!" Wolf barked at Fox, getting agitated by his pacing. Fox sat, still grumbling. "What is it?" Wolf asked more gently this time.

Fox took a deep breath, knowing yelling at his unit wouldn't do him any good. "When I was shot, I got 3 _months_ of medical leave, and now I am here. So on top of those months, I am here for however long, until they pull me into a mission. Cub got _nothing._ He had to get up and go right back to work. _That's_ why I am so mad. He was basically killed, and didn't even get time to recover!" By this time, Fox had worked himself up again and stood back up to pace. No one stopped him.

"The doctor wanted to do more testing" Snake added softly after a few minutes of silence. "But uh, considering I was basically restraining Cub so the doctor could do his exam, we figured we would save that for another day."

"What kind of testing?"Eagle asked hesitantly.

"Just standard testing, some imaging, but also to see if his heart is affected at all. So its kind of important, especially considering he is..here." Snake sighed, leaning forward in his seat to put this head in his hands. "Cub refused basically everything. The doctor could barely get him to take some medicine. He gave me some anti-inflammatory meds, and then some pain meds, but by the way, Cub acted in there? I doubt he will take either. I just don't understand. If it is hurting him, why won't he let us help?" Snake wondered out loud, the unit knowing he just wanted to help and hated when a teammate was hurting when he could help stop it.

* * *

About 45 minutes of silence later, Cub walked out from the back. He had dried mud stuck in his hair and to his uniform, and his left sleeve was pushed all the way up his arm to his shoulder. There, in the crook of his elbow, was some tape and gauze, where the IV must have been placed, everyone besides Snake deduced. Snake didn't even mention how long it took them to get the needle into the boy. The boy in question seemed surprised that they were waiting for him, and opened his mouth to say something witty, before deciding against it. He looked tired, they noted. Snake stood, noting Alex held the small bag of meds the doctor gave him.

"Ready?", the medic asked the boy softly. Alex nodded, pulling his coat on over his shirt. He looked like he was ready to crash. They all walked back, after informing the sergeant earlier what had happened, the unit had gotten the rest of the day off. The unit formed a circle around their youngest member as they took the journey back to their cabin. When they reached their barracks, Alex went straight to his bunk and laid down, obviously exhausted from the day. He threw his boots off, then pulled the covers over his head. Snake took the bag of meds the doctor had given the boy, and read the discharge instructions that were included. The unit let the boy rest until dinner.

* * *

When dinner came around, Ben was tasked with waking Alex up. He walked carefully over to his bunk, kneeling down next to it.

"Alex?", Ben called softly, frowning when he heard a muted whimper come from the sleeping figure. "Hey Alex, come on, time to wake up. Dinner time." Ben tried again, not wanting to touch the now shaking body. When Alex still didn't wake, Ben lightly laid his hand on Alex's shoulder. The kid shot up in his bed, eyes wide, searching for the threat that stole peaceful sleep from him. When his eyes landed on Ben, he relaxed, trying to calm his racing heart.

"W-What?" Alex stuttered out, not knowing what was going on.

"Dinner time", Ben informed him, before standing up, allowing Alex to pull himself together privately. The rest of the unit had already pulled on their coats and boots but were sitting on their bunks, absorbed in their own business, giving Alex the space that they all desired while waking up from the nightmares they all suffered from. Alex nodded after pulling himself together, then pulled on his jacket and boots, standing up. The unit made their way to the mess hall.

When Alex walked into the mess hall, everything got very quiet. News of what happened on the assault course had spread. He could feel the piercing stares on his back as he went up to grab his tray. He shifted uncomfortably, not liking the attention, wishing he could hide in the shadows. K-unit said nothing as they got their food as well, and made their way to a bench near the back of the room. Alex wanted to yell in frustration. _The back? Really?_ he wanted to yell at them. It was the worst place they could have chosen. Ben must have picked up on Alex's apprehension, as he turned back and gave Alex a look.

"You ok?" He asked the young spy quietly so no one else would hear as they reached their seats. Alex nodded hesitantly, the pair reaching the seats Wolf picked. _No, no I'm not ok,_ Alex wanted to cry. But he put his tray down resolutely, with his back to the mess, the only seat left. As he sat down, the hair on the back of his neck stood up at his vulnerable position, his exhaustion making his reaction times slower. Snake, who sat to the right of the boy, felt the tension.

"You ok Cub?" He wondered, this time not quietly like Ben had. Alex sighed to himself.

"M'fine" He muttered into his slush of food. He started to slowly spoon it into his mouth, making a face when the first bite hit his tongue. He ate as much as he could manage before pushing the tray away. He felt the looks from the unit but ignored it in favor of looking at his fingernails. When the unit was finished, Alex stood and walked as quickly as he could out of the mess hall. When they arrived back at the cabin, Alex headed straight for his bunk, falling back asleep in minutes, not one person in the unit stopping him.

* * *

*- Tachycardia is a heart rate over a hundred. I looked up the normal rates for Alex's age range and then made a number that would be above that.


	5. Losing Myself

**A/N- Hey all! So I'm not super happy with the ending of this, but let me know what you think. Again, I love to hear what you have to say, so please review! It makes my day when I see one of you left a comment.**

 **So the next chapter may not be till at least Monday of next week, depending on how much time I get to write between now and then. I have to start packing to go back to college, and then this weekend I am heading upstate to see a hockey game with my family, and will not have my laptop with me for that. Also, everyone in my house has the flu, and I really wish personal bubbles were a thing. I really don't want to get sick but I can already feel some symptoms.**

 **Disclaimer-Not mine.**

 **Without further ado, enjoy!**

* * *

 _If I lose myself I lose it all_

 _~Runnin'-Naughty Boy_

* * *

Wednesday night passed quietly after Alex fell asleep. The rest of the unit lay in their bunks thinking of the day they had. Alex had gone down on the assault course, arguably because Wolf had chased him off from breakfast after a hard run and even more grueling PT session. And while events like this had happened before, and safety nets were put in place to assure no one got seriously hurt, K-unit was most disturbed by what they found out afterward.

Snake discovered a boy who was injured in action, then forced back into work without much time to recover. He discovered Alex's scars, and while he didn't ask any questions, the look in the boy's eyes told him more than he would ever need to know. He didn't tell the unit what went down in the exam room, knowing Alex would probably want it to stay private, but the raw fear the teen had shown when the unknown doctor had walked in was startling. The boy had resented the doctor touching him in any way, even clinical. Almost like he had been hurt by anyone's hands who touched made him so scared of even the touch of help?

Fox discovered that MI6 was using the boy as a slave. Pushing him into dangerous missions no boy his age should have to go through, then getting almost no time off for medical leave. Even after getting shot in the chest. Fox couldn't put his mind around how Alex just let himself be pushed around like that. What did the heads have over him?

Eagle discovered that the boy they thought was just the son of some rich dad actually had seen action, and had come out the other side more scared than all of them put together. How can someone so put together on the outside be a mess underneath all the clothing?

Wolf discovered that he may have been too hard on the kid. He was angry the first time for the boy being placed with them, and that anger carried over into this round. They had just gotten back from a tour and wanted to just focus on bettering their skills and healing themselves. But now they had to deal with a minor who had his own issues they didn't even know how to approach. Every member of K-unit has issues, and they all have their own ways of dealing. But how can they help the boy if he gives them nothing to work with?

* * *

Alex was glad when it was finally Monday. He had been on restricted activity since Wednesday, and he was going stir crazy. He woke up before everyone else to get a shower with at least lukewarm water. As he got into the shower, he thought back on the previous week. After going down the on the assault course, and after what had happened in the infirmary, K-unit had been more...gentle towards him. Of course, it was doctors orders that he takes it easy until today, but the unit themselves had seemed more..parental than normal. It was weird, but kind of nice. He wondered how long it would last until he eventually screwed it up.

By the time Alex had arrived back to the cabin from the showers, everyone was up, and getting dressed. Alex sat on his bunk, watching the other men get ready for the day. He stifled a laugh as Eagle, who was hopping around trying to get his boots on, fall onto Fox who was sitting on his own bunk.

"Hey, bird brain! Stay on your side!" Fox jokingly yells at Eagle, pushing him off, sending the man crashing to the ground.

"Stop it you two! Let's go, I'm hungry." Wolf scolds the two, standing up after Eagle finally gets his boots on. Alex follows them out, taking a deep breath before walking into the mess hall. _I need to get over this_ Alex scolded himself, grabbing a tray and getting food. He had no idea why this place, in particular, sent the hair on the back of his neck to stand up every time he walked inside. It was relatively small, for the number of people they crammed in it, for one thing, and Alex hated crowds, but he at least somewhat trusted K-unit to help if he was in trouble. Luckily this morning, Wolf decided to sit near the front. Alex was able to sit with his back against the wall and monitor the activity as he ate. While he didn't relax, that was something Alex could never really do anymore, he felt more at peace with his position. He ate most of his breakfast that day.

* * *

That morning consisted of lectures. The first was some continued medical lecture. Something about hypothermia. Alex tried to pay attention, knowing the information may very well come in handy, but he kept thinking about the fact Snake knew about his chest. Luckily the man didn't know much more, but it did raise questions. He knows Snake told the others about what he found out. He knew they would interrogate him eventually.

The next lecture was a weapons lecture. He almost fell asleep in this one as well. He knew everything the instructor talked about. He was lucky they sat in the back, otherwise, he may have been reamed out by the loud, brash instructor, who was yelling at anyone who even whispered a question to their neighbor. A small, impromptu quiz was passed out since apparently they were "not focused enough, and that meant they already knew the information". Alex took the quiz quickly. It was quite easy. He stood up and handed it in after a few other men did. He waited outside for his unit, dreading the next exercise. Unarmed hand-to-hand combat.

* * *

Alex was worked up by the time they go to the sparing hut. He knew if he let himself go, let himself give into his instincts and _fight,_ the way he was sure the others in the unit would be. He was afraid he was going to hurt someone. They walked into the large building, taking their boots off and stepping onto the mats to warm up. They started by jogging in place, all at Wolf's command, and then jumping jacks. Alex tried to relax into the feeling of his body moving, his lungs straining with effort, but his heart stuttered with more than just exercise. It pumped extra hard with the growing doom of what he was warming up for exactly. After getting warmed up, they stretched out some, allowing their muscle to become loose and limber. By the time they were done, the instructor walked in. He was average looking, not like some of the instructors who looked like they ate steroids for breakfast, and while he didn't yell at them, he defiantly let his voice carry.

"Ok, since we have an uneven number", at this, he pointedly looked at Alex, " We will do two rounds and then a third with the winner from the first. Round one is Wolf and Fox, Two is Cub and Snake, Eagle will verse the winner of Round one. Men, you have the floor" The instructor stepped off the mats, giving Wolf and Fox room. Both men were equal in height, but Wolf was bulkier than Fox. They faced each other until the instructor blew the whistle, then Wolf immediately struck first. Fox ducked underneath Wolf's kick and aimed a fist at his head. Alex watched them, easily being able to guess Wolf's next move. Fox was a little harder, him being SO as well. Wolf may have brute strength on his side, but Fox was quick and could duck away and be right up in Wolf's space before the man could recover and deliver another blow. As they rallied against each other, Alex noticed that while they traded some hard hits here and there, they obviously were not going all out. Some kicks landed harder than others, but both sides were not only equally matched, but had an understanding that this was exactly as it seemed-an exercise. Alex grew increasingly nervous his reactions would not be able to decipher this situation from the life or death ones he was used to. He wasn't used to just fighting for practice like these soldiers were. Wolf and Fox traded blows back and forth for about 10 minutes before Wolf got Fox pinned to the mat after kicking Fox's feet out from under him. The instructor blew the whistle again to mark the end of the match. It was now Alex's turn.

"Snake and Cub, your turn", the instructor informed them. Alex stood up and felt the eyes of everyone on him. As he stood in front of Snake, he sized him up. Snake was taller, much taller than Alex, but almost everyone was. The only other person close to his size was a smaller comms soldier in J-Unit named Panther. While Snake towered over him, they matched each other in weight, unlike Wolf and Fox. Both had a leaner physique, unlike Wolf and Eagle.

Alex heard the whistle from the instructor, and Snake came at him. At first, Alex stayed on the defensive, blocking all the attacks from Snake. He was afraid if he went on the offensive he would lose control and someone would end up hurt. This went on for about 3 minutes until he heard the instructor yell.

"Come on Cub! Trade some blows! Do something! If this was a real fight your opponent would of probably just of shot you by now!" The instructor had some menace in his voice, obviously disgusted at having to teach a teenager. Alex was afraid of exactly how the instructor was pushing him to act like- he didn't want this to be like a real fight. The instructor got more and more annoyed, his yelling got more and more louder and angrier, to the point where he was yelling at Snake to come at him harder and faster. Alex gave in, reluctantly.

He was trying to find Snake's weakness. A favored leg or a weaker punch on one side. There! Snake seemed to hesitate when he punched out on his left side. The soldier was right-handed, so it made sense to Alex. As Snake rolled his left shoulder back to throw a punch, Alex attacked. He started with a right punch to the side of Snake's head. Luckily he was still in control of himself that he just grazed the man's ear. Snake tried to duck, not seeing the hit coming after Alex being on the defensive for the first half of the fight. While Snake was righting himself, Alex kicked out, aiming for the man's stomach. The soldier blocked the kick and countered with a kick of his own. Alex could slowly feel his control slipping away, and the instincts he honed to stay alive came to the forefront. He tried to fight it, but it was no use. Soon he was going after Snake like it was a real fight. Snake, in his defense, noticed the change, but was too out of breath and too occupied with not getting hit in the temple, to call it quits at the moment, countered with harder hits himself. Eventually, Eagle noticed that the fight was getting out of hand, and waved the instructor over, mentioning it to him. The instructor watched the fight for a moment or two with piercing eyes.

"Ok, that's enough!" the instructor yelled. Snake stopped, taking a step back, looking up at the instructor, heaving with exertion. Alex did not hear. He advanced on Snake, ready to throw another punch.

"Cub, I said that's enough!" the instructor shouted at Alex, walking onto the mat. Snake blocked the punch Alex threw, knowing something was off. Alex himself was panting, and while sweat was dripping down his back, he had all but stopped actively perspiring. The boy advanced on Snake, albeit clumsily due to exhaustion. They had been fighting hard for about 15 minutes. Snake, seeing Alex's weakness, pinned the boy to the floor.

"Cub what the hell are you thinking!" the instructor yelled, effectively knocking Alex out of his stupor. Alex took a moment to orient himself. He closed his eyes in defeat when he realized what exactly had happened-and he remembers none of it. "Answer me Cub!" The instructor got in his face, plainly pissed off at putting another unit member at risk.

"I..I don't know sir" Alex answered him in a small voice in between heavy breaths. He felt Snake's weight on top of him, pressing him down into the mat. He had hoped he didn't hurt the man too much. The instructor stood, mumbling some obscenities about teenagers. He told Snake to keep Alex where he was. Alex felt the gazes of K-unit, minus Wolf who was talking to the instructor, watching him closely. He laid his head on the mat, knowing he had no leverage to buck Snake off him. He felt like a criminal with Snake holding him down.

"What happened Cub?" Snake whispered to him, his voice gentle but left no room for bullshit.

"I don't know" Alex answered, hoping the man will accept that. The huff he got in return told him he didn't. Wolf and the instructor walk back from their little meeting, Wolf's face grim.

"Snake let him up,"Wolf ordered, letting the unspoken _but don't let go of him_ go unsaid. Alex felt Snake get off him, then pull him to his feet. The taller man kept a strong hand wrapped around his upper arm.

"Are you ok Snake?" Wold asked, knowing the soldier would not lie about his health.

"I'm good" He breathed out, still keeping a strong grip on the boy who squirmed next to him. Wolf nodded.

"Cub, what the hell happened?" Wolf asked, hoping the boy would give him an answer over the instructor. The youngest member of the unit looked down, rubbing his foot on the mat, hesitating. Snake squeezed the boy's arm some, hoping to spur him into answering.

"Cub please, if there is a reason, we can help." Snake noted, hoping the boy has enough trust in them. Alex glanced at the instructor, not wanting him to know, but somewhat willing to tell his unit if it got them off his back. He could fudge some of the details. Wolf caught Alex's glance and turned to the instructor.

"Do you mind if we talk alone?" Wolf asked, hoping his status as a competent leader would help. The instructor sighed, but nodded, and walked out of the building.

"What the hell happened?" Wolf questioned Alex again, a little more forcefully this time, stepping closer to where Snake held the boy.

"I..I lost control" Alex admitted, looking down, hoping they won't ask for any more information.

"You lost control?" Wolf almost yelled, irate at this point. Alex did have to admit he had a reason, he almost hurt Snake. "How do you lose control?!"

Alex started to get really pissed off. Wolf was basically in his face now, and Snake held him where he was. He couldn't take a step back even if he wanted to.

"I lost control because I cant decipher a practice fight from a real one ok!" Alex shouted, having enough with Wolf yelling at him.

"You couldn't tell this was a fake fight?!" Wolf just yelled right back, matching Alex's volume.

Alex knew, logically, that he should calm down, and explain in a reasonable voice, but he was far too angry to listen to that side of his brain. "The only fights I have ever been in have been life or death ok? So I'm sorry that I reacted badly to being put into this practice!" Alex shouted, not caring that all of K-unit bore stunned looks on their faces. No one said anything at first, then Snake, ever the level-headed medic, spoke slowly and calmly.

"Cub, if you were panicking, you could have called the exercise off mid-fight," He told the boy.

"I wasn't _panicking."_ Alex ground out, menace in his voice. He hated that the man insinuated he was so w _eak_ that he would panic. _Ian taught me better than that_ Alex scolded himself.

"Alright," Snake said dropping it, but knowing something was up with the boy. Wolf took over the conversation.

"Regardless of what happened Cub, you almost hurt another member of this unit! You need to learn self-control! Next time, you stop the fight before you hurt someone" Wolf, much like his namesake, growled, then stormed out of the hut. Eagle and Fox followed, Snake dragging Alex with him. It was time for lunch.

* * *

The rest of the day passed without any other issues. Wolf was not exactly hostile to Alex, but he wasn't friendly either. It was more like cold indifference. By the end of the day, Alex was ready to throw himself face first onto his bed. He could feel the unit watching him with shaded eyes, as if waiting for him to break apart. _I'm not fragile!_ Alex thought to himself. _I just have some issues,_ he admitted.

When Alex got back to the cabin after dinner, he changed into his sleeping clothes and laid down on his bed. Eagle, Snake, and Fox were captured in a game of poker, while Wolf was looking over some maneuvers they were to be practicing tomorrow, trying to figure out a way to incorporate a fifth man. Without meaning to, Alex fell asleep to Fox accusing Eagle of cheating.

* * *

The men were still up when they heard the soft noise coming from the youngest members bunk. They quieted their conversation, wondering if it was a figment of their imagination. When it came again, they all looked at each other. Even Wolf stopped looking at his papers and glanced at Alex.

"Should someone wake him?" Eagle asked, watching as Alex now twisted and turned in his blankets. No one answered him, too entrailed at watching their mystery member caught in a nightmare, showing the most emotion he had since arriving.

"No, Jack please no!" Alex cried out in his sleep, reaching for something over his head, flinging his body over so he was laying on his stomach. "Please, I'm sorry! Please don't leave!" Tears were now sliding down the boy's face, his expression one of pain. Ben had enough of seeing the boy like this and decided to put him out of his misery. He walked cautiously over to Alex's bunk, carefully kneeling next to him.

"Cub?" He called softly, hoping he wouldn't have to touch the kid. When that didn't work, he tried again, louder this time. "Cub, come on, wake up." Nothing. Ben took a deep breath and laid a light hand on the boy's shoulder.

The kid, in his defense, tried to stop his fist from connecting with Ben's face in the split second he woke up and the next second that he realized where he was. But he had already rolled his shoulder back and propelled his fist forward towards the person who touched him in his sleep. Ben, for his part, saw the fist coming the moment before it hit and ducked before it hit him square. He was glad it only clipping him in the ear.

"Whoa! Cub calm down!" Ben muttered, knowing it was mostly his fault for touching the boy while he was asleep, in a nightmare no less.

Once Alex got his bearings, he sat up in bed, panting like he ran a mile, his eyes wide, and skittering around the hut like a wild animal. "I-I'm sorry" he panted out, actually meaning it.

"Its ok" Ben tried to smile, pushing Snake away when he walked too close for Alex to be comfortable to check on them. "Are you ok now?" Alex just nodded. He looked up, realizing the whole unit saw the exchange. He gulped, they all stared at him with varying degrees of concern and curiosity.

"Wanna talk about it Cub?" Wolf asked, a slight smirk on his face.

Alex had nowhere to run.


	6. I'm A Disaster

**A/N- Ok first off, I'm SO sorry this took so long. I have all 8 ams this semester, and it's really kicking my butt. Also, I was having a little trouble finding the right way to write this chapter, so I was going back and forth with it, which took up some time. If it seems shorter than usual, again, sorry, I literally wrote the bulk of this chapter in like 2 hours, because I realized I hadn't updated in a while, and wanted to get it done for you all.**

 **So I have a few things to say about this chapter, but they would be spoilers, so please look at the note at the end of this chapter as well!**

 **Also, the band, SYML, is absolutely amazing, and you should check them out. If you listen to the full song (Body) you will see where I got the name for this chapter!**

 **Please review! It makes my dark, college girl soul happy! I love seeing what you have to say!**

 **Disclaimer- If I owned Alex Rider, I wouldn't have to be studying Organic Chemistry right now, which makes me want to dive off a bridge.**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

 _In my I fight fire,_

 _With the snow, My hell is cold,_

 _In my body, I have a soft light,_

 _Burning low, but too hot to hold,_

 _I've become the only thing I hate,_

 _Leave this broken body today._

 _-Body SYML_

* * *

Alex looked for an escape. Wolf, who he was sure was going to interrogate him, was sitting by the door and would grab him if he ran, so that was out. Eagle was sitting on his bed, which was in front of the only window so that was out. That left.. _.nothing_. It dawned on Alex that there was no escaping.

"So Cub, what was that about?" Wolf sneered, despite the fact he had helped everyone else in this cabin through nightmares before.

"It's nothing, why don't you go to bed?" Alex answered, trying to sound confident and snarky.

"Cub, let us help" Snake murmured from his bed, expression open, hoping to convey that he truly did want to help the boy.

"Why do you care?!"Alex almost shouted, feeling bad as soon as the words left his mouth. Snake has been pretty decent to him this stay at Beacons. Alex put his head down, physically drained from the nightmare.

"Because we know what can happen to someone who doesn't get help" Eagle muttered. Whether he had said it with the purpose of keeping it to himself or not, everyone in the cabin had heard. The man himself was sitting on his bunk, looking down at his hands, ears slightly tinged red.

"Let's not think of that now shall we?" Wolf murmured, slightly more gentle than when he was talking to Alex. Eagle just nodded. Alex listened to the exchange, curious.

"Cub, please. Talking helps, it has been proven." Snake pleaded with him.

Part of Alex wanted to be blunt and say right out that he really didn't trust them, especially with national secrets. But another, small part of Alex was hoping he could find camaraderie in this unit. A group that he could actually rely on. He wouldn't have to be alone again. He wouldn't have to come back from a mission to an empty house, filled with ghosts of his past and the present he may never have, battered and beaten, and sew himself back up. Left to deal with the aftermath himself. Left to try and pick himself back up and deal with the terror by himself. And to deal with the sleepless nights himself either. He took a deep, shuddering breath, glancing at Ben, who gave him an encouraging smile.

"It's alright Cub. We're here for you" Ben whispered. In those seven words, Alex found comfort and peace. The peace he was surprised to find in the cold landscape that was unique to Beacons. He moved closer to Ben and nodded. Snake decided to ask the first question, keeping them relatively easy.

"Do you usually have nightmares?" Snake questioned him without sounding like he was an interrogator.

Alex nodded, clearing his throat before answer, looking at his hands, fingering the hem of his nightshirt. "Almost every night. After missions, they are the worst."

"How many missions have you been on?" Wolf questioned him, his voice softer than before.

"I cant tell you the exact number, but...more than I can count on one hand," Alex answered him back, still not looking at the unit. K-unit as a whole understood that Cub was putting a lot of trust in them by answering their questions.

"How much sleep do you get a night?" Snake asked again, brow scrunched in concern.

Alex shrugged, rubbing the back of his neck. "Uhh, good nights? Maybe 5 hours. Bad nights? 2 to 4 hours maybe," he admitted, knowing the dark circles under his eyes have been growing. He heard a stifled gasp from someone but ignored it.

"Who was Jack?" Ben asked gently, figuring it was someone who was important to the boy by how anguished his voice was when was yelling. The only way your voice sounds when you are yelling for someone you are trying to save that is important to you.

Alex visibly swallowed, feeling Ben move closer to him. "She was my guardian." He didn't elaborate.

"Was?" Wolf asked, hanging on that specific word.

Alex nodded, taking a deep breath. "She died...uhh last year. On a mission of mine." He didn't continue or give them any more information.

"How old are you Cub?" Eagle asked, brow furrowed. _He has a guardian?_ He thought to himself.

Alex opened his mouth, and then shut it, much like a fish. "Uh, 15" He muttered bracing for the yelling that usually followed. It was more of a startled gasp, like when a door is pushed shut by the wind.

"15!?" Snake coughed, eyes wide in surprise, mouth hanging open. Wolf stood, hands crossed over his chest, his anger growing. Not at Cub though. His anger at Cub was depleting actually. No, the anger was growing at the people who put a _minor_ through this.

"Who looks after you then? Your still a minor!" Wolf growled, trying not to deflect his anger onto the boy sitting hunched on his bed. A boy who shouldn't even be here.

Alex knew this was going to come up. "Um, well, technically my legal guardians are MI6..." Alex trailed off, wringing his hands now, one of his few tells of stress.

"Wait, MI6 are your legal guardians!? How does that even work?" Eagle exclaimed.

Alex just shrugged. "They have unrestricted access to me. They can have me go on as many missions as they want..." he trailed off.

"Cub, your...situation with MI6...isnt like mine is it?" Ben asked, dread filling him. Alex just nodded, not answered. Ben noticed Alex was getting tired of all the questions. After a few beats of silence, Wolf spoke up.

"A soldier in S-Unit, Bat, he uh...suffered from nightmares a lot. He rarely slept, but never mentioned it. Thought he could just deal with it, thought they may go away. Eventually, the sleep deprivation got to him. He went crazy. We found him in the shooting range, holding a pistol, shooting widely, talking and screaming at nothing. Saying weird things like 'something is coming' and was speaking of the devil and stuff like that. When we tried to talk him down, he turned the gun on himself and uh, you can imagine how it ended." Wolf quieted down after his story, giving Alex some information after he gave them some. Alex appreciated the exchange of information. Wolf hoped it would build trust between them.

"We just want to help. There are mandates now on psych evals, and stuff like that. We can help you here Cub, even if MI6 won't." Snake spoke softly, hoping to get to the boy. Alex nodded, taking in the information. He was overwhelmed some.

"Thank you. If you don't mind, I'm going to try and get some sleep." He laid down, pulling the blankets over him. The rest of K-unit followed his lead, not looking forward to the early morning.

* * *

The next morning, no one mentioned the conversation the night before. The unit got up, dressed and walked to the mess hall like normal. The mess hall, like normal, was loud and obnoxiously hot, or at least to Alex. What was not normal, however, was the way the unit created a circle around the youngest. Ben stayed close to Alex's right side, with Snake on his left. Wolf led them, with Eagle taking the rear. Alex, despite what he consciously thought, relaxed slightly in the loud, rambunctious chaos that he had grown to hate. The protection of the unit helped him move through the stifling heat of four dozen or so soldiers, some who still shouted things at him, or glared, and get his food. Wolf chose a table, again, near the entrance, something Alex silently thanked the man for. Alex sat down with his back to the wall again, and slowly ate his meal. He was still on edge from his nightmare last night. It involved another mission and the ghost of Jack. Logically, Alex didn't believe in ghosts, but the dream had been so real, he swore he was right there, in the madman's clutches, with Jack. The thought of this nightmare diminished his appetite, but he forced himself to finish the rest of the food present, knowing of the other unit members would say something if he didn't.

By the time they had finished breakfast and made their way outside, the sky had opened up, and it was pouring. Wolf groaned, wiping rainwater off his face, Eagle grumbled about the weather. Alex frowned as he noticed the Seargent talking with someone who seemed like they didn't belong. This person was in a black suit and had obviously just gotten out of the black sedan parked in front of the Sargent's office. As the unit waited for their instructor, they secretly watched the conversation. The pair was too far away to hear what they were saying, but the body language of both parties suggested neither wanted to speak to each other. As the suit walked away, the Sergeant turned and noticed K-unit waiting. He made a bee-line for them.

As he approached, Alex started to have a sinking sensation in his stomach. He wanted to run, to hide, to curl up in his bunk and never get up. He also felt like he was going to be sick, right then and there. As the Seargent closed in on them, he pointedly looked at Alex. Alex felt his whole world narrow. The sedan that sat innocently in front of the Seargent's cabin hadn't left yet, despite the suit had gotten back in. Alex's heart rate kicked up a few gears. He had a dreaded feeling the sedan was here for him. _It's too soon!_ he wanted to yell but knew that had never stopped them before. When the Seargent was close enough, he stopped in front of them, inspecting them. If his eyes lingered on Alex longer, well, who wasn't to say it wasn't warranted.

"Cub, come up to my office. We need to talk." At that, he walked away. Quick, short and to the point. Alex felt the eyes of the 5 soldiers on him. The boy gave them a shaky smile and a "see you on the course, yeah?" then walked away, knowing K-unit was due to the assault course again this morning. As Alex ascended the steps, the dread that filled his stomach crept up into his throat and threatened to choke him. He knocked once and waited for the "come in!". He walked in, closing the door behind him.

"You wanted to see me, sir?" He asked hesitantly, fidgeting with his fingers behind his back.

"Cub, sit" the sergeant barked, turning to face him, taking a deep breath. "I have gotten the notice that you will be...leaving on an...ahem...assignment." The sergeant pushed a file towards Alex, who, while knowing this was coming, felt sweat trickle down his back, his heart not calming down since he saw the suit.

"You can go pack your stuff, and inform your unit, then meet your transport outside here, as you probably have noticed." The sergeant finished, not knowing where the boy would be going, or for how long, but hating that MI6 used him. He wasn't fond of having the kid in his camp but had grown a soft spot for him after he found the boy could hold his own. It didn't feel right to send him away with the company that left him for dead in the first place.

Alex held himself together, feeling a wave of cold sickness rise through him as he passed the sedan, and made his way down the trail to the assault course. As he walked, he tried calming himself. He knew this was going to happen, so why was he reacting so badly to the news? A small, cold thought entered his mind. _What about my nightmare? Is that my future?_ Alex didn't believe in people having dreams of the future, but this just seemed way too coincidental. As he neared the course, he heard Wolf yelling at someone, and tried to school his features into one of cool indifference. Eagle, who was timing whoever was running the course, noticed him first.

"Hey, Cub!" Eagle waved the boy over, noticing the file he held. Alex gave the upbeat man a tight smile and waited until Wolf and Snake, who was apparently on the course, came running over.

"What did the sergeant want with you?" Wolf asked, eyeing the folder in Alex's hand. Alex took a deep breath before his announcement.

"It seems that I have been called in for an assignment. MI6 sent someone to pick me up today. That's who the sergeant was talking to earlier. I...I need to go pack my stuff and then I'm leaving..." Alex scuffed his boot against the dirt, looking down. At first, there was silence from the 5 shocked men. Then the rage came.

"No. That's not happening" This was Ben. Alex looked up to come face to face with a side of Ben he has never seen before.

"There's nothing I can do. The car is already here." Alex muttered, looking back down at the dirt.

"They can't just take you!" Eagle said, his eyes wide.

Alex just shrugged, face downtrodden, shoulders turned in on himself. "They can do whatever they want, they basically _own_ me" he sneered harshly, hating feeling like a dog to MI6. "I'm at there mercy. Look, I got to go. I'll see you in a few weeks ok?" He gave them all a tight smile that didn't reach his eyes, then started back towards the cabin. There he packed only the essentials. A few pairs of clothes was really all he needed, plus his phone. Once he got his meager belongings together, Alex looked around the cabin. He may have only been here for two weeks, but it felt like _home. It is my home now, so it better feel like it,_ he thought, somewhat bitterly at the offer Blunt had given him after the Pleasures had given him back. He small, violent thought slipped through his mind. _I hope I can return._ Which also meant _I hope I don't get killed._ Once Alex gathered himself, physically and mentally, he left the cabin and headed to the sedan, which sat in the same place, still running. As he hopped in, he looked one last time at Brecon Beacons, memorizing the dreary landscape.

* * *

Alex had, at first, protested the mission, when he first arrived in front of Blunt. His fire was quickly extinguished when Blunt threatened to send him to an orphanage again. While Beacons sucked at times, it was a better option than any orphanage Blunt could throw him in. Alex now sat on a plane, on his way to someplace in Bulgaria. He read over his file again, which contained his cover, as well his mission. He thumbed the small flash drive that was in his pocket. The mission was to gain some information on some company that had some dealings with the black market. The flash drive also doubled as a distress signal. If he pushed the button to eject the drive three times, it would send the signal to MI6.

* * *

Alex was in trouble. He was running from his target. They figured out he was not who he said he was pretty quick, and when he broke into the office to upload the data, he was quickly discovered. He was now running through the halls of the medical facility that was a front for the illegal organ harvesters. He had no idea where the exit was and could hear the alarms going off. He had quickly pressed the drive three times to alert MI6 that he had been revealed, hoping they would get to him in time. As he rounded the corner, he came face to face with about 15 guards.

* * *

Alex woke up, tied to a chair, his head feeling like it was trying to split itself open. He tried to keep his breathing even and slow, to gauge if anyone is in the room with him. When he didn't sense another presence, he slowly lifted his head and opened his eyes. The room tilted its axis, and he had to close his eyes until the room stopped spinning. He took a few deep breaths, and then looked around the room. It was a clean, hospital room. _Probably in the same building. That's good._ Alex thought to himself. That way, if MI6 does respond to his signal, he will be in the same location. Alex tried to wiggle his way out of the bonds that held him to the chair, but they were expertly tied. Tied to the point where his fingertips felt tingly. He would just have to sit here until they decided to do something then.

* * *

It had been about two weeks, and K-unit still had not heard anything from their youngest member. They pestered the sergeant for any information he may have, but always came up empty. They were frustrated and worried for their youngest member. The sergeant, while keeping his rough exterior, tried to gently tell the upset unit that if he got any information, he would tell them immediately. He knew, personally, what it was like to wait for news about the whereabouts of a comrade.

* * *

Alex groaned as he was thrown back into the small, concrete cell that he was kept in. His back was on fire. He could feel each individual cut the "doctor" had given him with the scalpel. He tried sitting up, knowing the longer he laid down, the worse of an infection he could get. He pulled himself into a sitting position, drying heaving some. He hadn't eaten in 2 days, and any little movement brought forth the possibility of vomiting. The "doctors" wanted to see how long he could last until his body shut down. They were only giving him water every other day, torturing him just enough to put him in enough pain to contemplate letting them kill him, and sometimes even keeping him from sleeping. By this point, while Alex had no idea how many days had passed, he knew help was not coming.

* * *

After three weeks, K-unit stopped going to the sergeant's office for news, fearing the worst had come of their youngest member. They threw themselves into training. One Wednesday morning, three and a half weeks after Alex left, K-unit got orders to go to the sergeant's office after breakfast. The unit shoveled the food into their mouths, hoping for good news, but realistically knowing that, after three weeks, no good news could come of it. They ambled their way over, and knocked on the door, waiting for the "come in!" to enter. They shuffled in, and stood at attention, wearily eyeing the file on the desk.

"At ease" the sergeant muttered. They all shared a look and frowned. The sergeant, a man who usually spoke louder than a courtroom judge, had just _muttered._ He also sounded like the weight of the world was on his shoulders.

"This morning, I got a message from MI6. You're not going to like it." He told them, watching their reactions. When they didn't even as much as blink, he continued, leaning forward, resting his elbows on his desk. "The message, as you can guess, was about Cub. He has been missing for about two, almost three weeks. They received a distress signal but determined that the time they got it, it was intercepted, and made to take longer to get to them. They have no idea where Cub is. At this rate, with not only who he was investigating, but all his enemies, he's probably better off dead. They determined him as MIA. That's all." With that, the sergeant stood, and went into his private back room, leaving the five astounded soldiers in his wake.

The soldiers shambled out of the office in shock. Arguably, Ben was taking the news the worst. He looked like he seen a ghost. The unit made their way to a lecture, but none of them could tell you what it was about, or even who was teaching it. They sat in the back in shocked silence, mourning the loss of their youngest member. And that was probably was why, when they finally got back to their cabin, Wolf turned around and punched a wall. He had held his rage in all day at the injustices the boy, the _boy,_ had faced, and couldn't contain it anymore. When he was finished beating up the wall, he fell heavily into his bunk, burying his head in his hands. Snake sat staring at the ceiling, Eagle stared out the window above his bed, and Ben stared at the wall. None of them slept much that night.

* * *

In a small, dirty cell, Alex tried to stand, only to fail, his weak body giving out on him. He was made to crawl over to the front of the cell where his water had just been delivered. He was covered in sweat, blood, tears, and urine. There was no bathroom in his cell, and he was currently too weak to even stand and make his way over to a corner. He knew his captors were laughing at him, but he couldn't care. He just hoped the next time they took him, they would just end it all.

* * *

 _In my broken body I stay_

 _-Body SYML_

* * *

 **Ok some notes real quick- 1. I'm not really good at coming up with missions of anything for Alex, so I kept it vague. It's not a really important part of the story later on, so don't stress about it. 2. Talking about being Vague- I made Alex's capture that way on purpose, and it will be relevant in later chapters!**


	7. Nobody's Praying For Me

**A/N- Hey guys! Back with another chapter! I'm honestly really really proud of this chapter, so I hope you guys like it. A little bit longer than usual because I couldn't find a good spot to stop it earlier, but that's good news for you guys!**

 **Please review! It gives me the motivation to write! More reviews= quicker chapters, so please R+R! I really do love hearing what you guys have to say.**

 **There was one inconsistency last chapter, in which I accidentally kept saying "five" men, when Maeby16 so kindly pointed out that there were only four.**

 **Also, there is another note at the end of this chapter, so check that out!**

 **Disclaimer- not mine.**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

 _I'm a whisper lost upon wind_

 _I'm the ember that'll burn you down_  
 _I'm the water that'll drown you_  
 _I'm a star that's just a black hole now_  
 _I'm a terrifying danger_

 _There's nobody praying for me_

- _Nobody Praying For Me, Seether_

* * *

It had been a total of 5 weeks before K-unit had heard anything. They were called into the sergeant's office again. They stood in front of the man, who held the knowledge they did not want to hear.

"I got news today from MI6." he started, not looking at his men, hating to give them this information. "They have expended all resources they can to find Cub, and have since declared him has KIA, and are closing his file. I'm sorry." He delivered the news with a heavy tone, still not meeting the eyes of the unit he knew the boy had slowly made his way into the lives of. He made his way into the sergeant's life too.

"What?"

"Wait!"

"There has to be something we can do!"

"We will find him!" Wolf hastily barked over the other three member's exclamations. When Wolf realized everyone had quieted down, he continued. "Please, sir. Let us head a SAS recovery team. There are resources here that we can utilize!" Wolf pleaded his case.

The sergeant just shook his head. "I'm sorry. There's nothing we can do. He is MI6's. If they close his file, well, there's nothing that can be done." He sounded defeated like he had tried to argue the same case Wolf had, which he had. "They are... _adamant_...he is dead. I'm sorry. You have the morning off, your instructors will see you this afternoon. Dismissed." At that, the sergeant shut them up and turned them away, whether the unit had anything else to say.

The unit walked out of the hut, stunned, angered and grieved. Wolf had smoke coming out his ears. If anything, not being able to save a fellow unit member was what was getting to him the most, not to mention said member was a 15-year-old kid. He would scour the globe to find the kid, and take down whoever he needed to to get him back _home_ safe. He wouldn't let him suffer alone if he was alive. He wouldn't let '6 just throw him away like some broken toy. If they find him, Wolf promised that he would keep the boy safe from the monster of MI6. He had a suspicion the sergeant would agree with him.

Ben felt like his whole world had been taken out from underneath him. _He_ cant _be dead._ He told himself, over and over, hoping the more he said it, the more he would believe it. He had heard, seen, the kid come out the other side of things no adult would be able to, why should this be any different? A small voice of reason told him they have no idea what situation Alex was even in. He was determined as soon as they reached the cabin to get in contact with Blunt, or hell, Jones, who he knew had a soft spot for the boy, and tell them not to close the file. That they will take matters into their own hands if MI6 won't take the responsibility to look after the kid themselves. He should have realized a while ago something wasn't right, that Alex was not all that he seemed. He should have realized that the two heads of MI6 couldn't take care of a kid who they turned into a weapon without exploiting him.

Eagle may not have know Cub for very long, and may not have known much about him, but in the few weeks he had spent time with them, he carved a space for himself within the unit. While he had seen a small amount of the kid's fighting skill, he could tell he was talented. But the type of talent that came out necessity. Like a doctor who becomes talented in setting bones without all the fancy equipment. He was worried the boy had a deeper, darker past then they were aware of. He wanted to protect the boy from his hellish "employers", and get him the help that they all had access to. He couldn't imagine going through it alone.

Snake felt defeated. He tried to earn Cub's trust, hoping the younger member would let him help. After seeing the scars he had on his body, the medic was afraid of the mission MI6 had sent him on and had a bad feeling as he left. Now he felt hopeless. He knew that boy had scars deeper than the ones he held on his body. He also knew that his other three comrades were already planning ways to rescue Cub. He just hoped they could get to him before it was too late.

* * *

Alex was thrown into his cell, rather harshly. He stayed, lying on his back, even though he knew the cuts would just get even more infected. He was too weak to care at this point. He coughed some as the cold from the cell, and the water from his most recent torture invaded his lungs. He could basically feel pneumonia developing in his lungs. They upped their game this time. Now they were actually asking questions. Before they were just torturing him because they _liked_ it, and they knew who he was, and why he was in their facility. Which is why when they started asking him questions, like why he was there, he was thrown for a loop. Which is why they upped their torture. Now instead of just slicing his body up like a block of cheese, they simulated drowning him, even running electricity across his wet skin. He tried not to panic, but his body won the fight over his rational mind. He heard them laughing as he struggled to get control of his flailing body, knowing the more he struggled, the faster he would run out of oxygen. He lost track of time, passing out so often from lack of air, then being woken up, tied back down to the operating table where they did all the cutting, feeling the scalpel slice through his skin. Once they got their fill of cutting, they would move back over to the tub filled with ice cold water again. It was an endless cycle.

Alex watches his breath form in front of him as he tried to will himself to sit up, to at least ward off the worst of any infection he is developing on his back. He felt his body shiver violently. It had to be below freezing down here, which was not helpful to his weak, wet body. He was practically naked, his pants, while ratty and almost cut clean off, was the only thing he was allowed to keep on his person. He hadn't been fed in what he guessed was three days, but he couldn't be positive. There were no windows, and it was always dark. He could barely see his hand in front of his face. Not like it mattered. All he did was sit and contemplate how this is how he was going to go. He was hoping for his death to be quick at least, but it seems that small wish wouldn't even be granted. He was going to slowly wisp away in here, whether starvation, dehydration, or infection got him first.

Alex had slowly given up hope on '6 coming to rescue him. At first, he thought they were being slow. Maybe Blunt thought he was too hasty in pressing the distress signal, panicking when he could get himself out. But now, he had a sinking suspicion that they were not coming at all. _They probably cant find me_ Alex thought bitterly. He doubted he was in the same building anymore. After he ran into the horde of guards, he fought until one of them stuck him with a tranquilizer dart. It sent him down almost immediately. When he woke up, he was tied to a chair, in a hospital room. There, the head "doctor" had explained that they knew all along that Alex was spying on them, but wanted to see his skill. Eventually, they decided he got too close to actually completing his mission and captured him. After his "talk", Alex was drugged again, and he woke up in the cell. Then the torture started. _Just for fun_ , they had told him, the one and only time they ever answered his questions, with a gleeful smile, insanity glinting in their eyes as they donned their white coats, and pulled the big, hot, surgery lights overhead, and picked up shining scalpels. At first, Alex didn't scream. He gritted his teeth, kept his face blank, didn't give them what they wanted. But they just cut deeper and deeper. Deeper until they got him to give them the reaction they wanted. He was a puppet when on their table. Forced to give whatever they wanted. If they wanted him to scream, by god they would make him scream. They ripped his body to shreds, tearing pieces from him like stuffing out of an old doll. Alex knew if he wasn't rescued soon, he would end up a corpse.

* * *

When K-unit arrived back at their cabin, all was silent. Besides Wolf sending his fist flying through the wall, again. Snake huffed with annoyance, taking their leader aside and wrapping his knuckles which now bled all over the floor. Eagle sat on his bed, staring out his window, lost in thought. Ben, however, was on a mission. Driven by anger and grief, and sent a secure message to Jones, with just one line that read "Why did you close his file?". He knew Jones would know who the subject was about, and stowed away the MI6 issued tablet used for secure messaging within the sector. He waited for a faint vibration, but it never came. Eventually, they all had to report back to training. They hauled themselves out of their beds, and out into the clearing, where their PT instructor waited for them.

* * *

K-unit just survived through the rest of their day before retiring to their cabin after dinner. As they entered, they looked at the clean, unslept bed of Cub's, and felt the failure pierce through them. Ben pulled out his tablet, checking his messages. He had one. He opened it, holding his breath. It read:

 _Daniels,_

 _I understand you are upset about Alex's passing, as are we. We received his distress signal from what the techs can gather, two weeks late. It was obviously intercepted, held, manipulated, and then released to us. Alex has obviously been moved from where he had sent said signal, and we have nowhere to even start looking. The organization he was looking into only has ties to the specific building he was in. After five weeks, we all know what Alex's chance of surviving is. I'm sorry it had to be this way. Please give our condolences to the rest of your unit as well._

 _Jones._

Ben wanted to throw something. Eagle, noticing Ben getting upset, asked: "Whats wrong?"

"I messaged Jones, asking why she closed Cub's file. Read what she sent me." He passed the tablet over, letting each member reach the message he had received, knowing he wasn't supposed to let anyone see anything he received on it, but couldn't care less at this point. "They just freaking gave up!" Ben stood and started pacing, while the rest of the unit thought over the message."They don't give a shit about him! He's just a pawn in their chess game! A toy that lost its interest, a weapon that is no longer useful!" Ben ranted, agitated and rightfully pissed off. The unit just listened, knowing he was right.

Eventually, Ben got tired enough and sat down. His tablet was returned to him. "I'm going to try and see if they won't do anything if they will let us. They won't have to spend any more resources" The end of his sentence was said with more vexation then they have ever heard come from him before. Ben quickly typed a message, arguing his side to let the SAS handle the rest of the rescue. MI6 wouldn't have to spend another cent trying to find Alex. It infuriated Ben to write such a message, but he knew it was the only way to bring him home.

* * *

Alex didn't think he was going to last another day. Or, at least what felt like a day. They took him again, he couldn't give how long ago. Sliced him, drowned him, cut him some more. After he passed out, he couldn't be woken up, or at least that's what the "doctors" told him. Even the almost-death of their toy could take the gleefulness from them. When they got him conscious, they threw him back into his cell, with a plate of bread and some water. Alex didn't have the strength to sit up or even roll over to pull the plate closer to him. He laid there, staring at the food, feeling his stomach protest the lack of nourishment. He groaned, closing his eyes, wishing he could go in his sleep.

* * *

In three days, Ben finally got the approval to launch a search for Cub from MI6. It had taken a lot of arguing with Jones, but it happened. He rushed to the sergeant' office and showed him the messages.

The sergeant looked at the hopeful faces of K-unit with sad eyes. "Men, I want to rescue Cub as much as you do, but... its been almost 6 weeks now. We all know what is survival rate after only a few days is, let alone 6 weeks.." he trailed off, letting the information sink it.

"Please sir, just let us try. If we don't find him within the next 6 weeks, the same amount of time Cub has been missing, we will leave it alone, and leave him to rest." This was Eagle, in a rare, but a very appreciated mature moment.

The sergeant thought about it, then sighed. "Fine. 6 weeks. How many units do you need?" He already figured the unit would have a plan, especially with Wolf as their leader.

"2. J-unit, and S-unit sir." This was Wolf, taking control. The three units he wanted were both senior units, here for a refresher course. They were also the only other units who were currently in camp who was here the last time Cub was here.

"Have you asked them?" The sergeant asked. Wolf nodded.

"Yes, sir. They agreed to accompany us." Wolf informed. The sergeant nodded, taking in the information.

"Alright then. K-unit, as of now, you are the head unit of this rescue mission." With that, the sergeant dismissed them to get to work right away.

* * *

Every breath felt like fire. Alex was currently strapped to the operating table, as per usual, dripping in ice cold water. In a panic, he had breathed in some of the water when his head was first pushed under. Now, he was sure he was going to die right then and there. He had heard the "doctors" laughing at him when he cried after his head was pulled from the water. It wasn't the first time he had cried in front of them. He tried to keep any emotions kept locked down, but the "doctors" had a way of carving out every single one and bringing it into the harsh light where they could dissect it. While still disoriented, they manhandled him and strapped him down to the table. He eyed the scalpel sitting on a tray to his left, knowing it would be sharp enough to kill him. The lights were shone on him, and they started their questions again. Alex didn't have much sanity, or strength, left.

* * *

It wasn't until the end of the 4th week that the rescue team got any lead. It wasn't very promising, but Wolf made the call to follow it, saying he had a good feeling about it. Everyone nodded their heads, taking anything they could get. They were starting to get desperate. With only two weeks left, and nothing else had come up, the chances of actually not only finding Cub but finding him alive were very slim. As a group, the three units headed to the armory. They already called transport, the helicopter was getting started as they made their way. There, they donned their standard issue protective vests, as well as helmets. They picked up their standard issue rifles, double checking they were in pristine condition, and doing the same with the standard handgun. The three medics on the team grabbed a med kit each, hoping they wouldn't need to use it, but grabbed extra bandages and other supplies just in case. Once they were already, they checked their radios worked, then headed towards the helipad. There stood the sergeant. He watched as they got closer, Wolf leading, just like he was born to do.

He nodded at Wolf, then spoke to the group as a whole. "I hope you know, this is a goose chase at best. This lead is not concrete, and could be just about anything."

"I understand sir, but I made the decision to follow it, seeing as it is the only lead have so far." Wolf counted respectfully. The sergeant nodded, accepting his answer.

"Alright. I'll let you be on your way. Be safe, and if you find Cub, bring 'em home men." With that, he left Wolf in charge of his team, getting them into the helicopter, and ready to get into the air. He hoped to God something came from this. He desperately hoped the boy was alive, and that the team brought him back.

* * *

Alex was positive he was dead. He felt light like he was floating. He wasn't cold anymore, and while he was still in an immense amount of pain, he could drift off to sleep finally. But, they came back, reminding him he wasn't dead yet, despite what he wished for. He had no idea why he was still alive, his body should have given out on him a long time ago. He lost all hope of rescue, accepting the fate he was going to die at the hands of these men, and just wanted them to _hurry up already!_ He wanted to see his mom and dad, uncle Ian, and Jack. He would be the happiest kid in the world. The thought of him dying making him so happy made him angry. He wanted to punch something, knowing it was all MI6's fault for doing this to his life. But he couldn't even lift his head right now. All he could do was wait for them to come back.

* * *

When the rescue team arrived at the compound, it was night. Wolf planned it that way, so it would be easier to sneak in. The helicopter was landed little ways away in some small airport. From there, the team hiked through dense woods to the compound. It was small, and not very well lit. The team crouched down in the bushes, watching the guard's rotation. Well, they would have, if there were guards. This made Wolf frown.

"Ok, so either 1. They are confident no one knows where they are, or are really naive and think they don't need any, or 2. It's a trap." Wolf whispered, seeing a few nods of agreement. They watched some more before devising a plan of action.

* * *

Alex hadn't heard anyone come for him for a while. Or at least what felt like a while. _Maybe they are just letting me die in peace._ He thought, but then snorted to himself. _Not a freaking chance. They would love to see me die at their hands._ As he closed his eyes again, the sound of gunfire rose him out of thoughts. _That's different._ _Maybe they turned on each other?_ Alex wished he could stand, and go look out the bars at the front of his cell, but he used up all of his energy rolling onto his stomach. He groaned, his skin pulling and warm blood running down his sides from wounds that had broken open from his movement. He heard more gunfire, a little closer this time. He frowned, a small sliver of hope bubbling up before he could push it back. In an attempt to sit up, he passed out.

* * *

They had split up into their units to cover the compound. K-unit was assigned to the lower levels and had encountered over a dozen guards. Eventually, they got through all the security and ended up in the basement of the building. Each member move quickly, checking each cell thoroughly for Alex. They found many other dead victims, thankfully none of the were Cub. There were at least 2 dozen cells, but they checked each and every one, not wanting to skip one in case Alex was there. Ben had reached the end, losing all hope of finding Alex, grabbed onto the last door, and tugged. When it didn't budge, he frowned, pulling out his lock pick kit. He swiftly got it unlocked. _The only reason a door would be locked would be to keep something inside._ Ben thought, hope slowly building within him. He pulled open the door, noticing in the low light, a human figure. A small human figure. Small enough to be a 15-year-old boy. Ben walked into the cell slowly, holding his breath. He approached the figure, not being able to tell if it was breathing or not. As he got closer, he could just make out the features. Familiar features. He kneeled down next to the still body and looked closer.

"My god..." he muttered, recognizing Alex. He looked at the boy, not sure if he was breathing, which kicked him into action.

"Snake I need you in the last cell, now!" He yelled into the radio, feeling for a pulse. He heard three other footsteps run up to the cell, and another body kneel next to him.

"Is he alive?" Snake whispered, fearing the worst.

"His pulse is barely there Snake..."Ben choked out, fearing they arrived too late. He let Snake push him out of the way. He watched, helpless, as Snake took the boy's vitals. He watched as Snake frowned, noting the slow heart rate the kid had.

"He has one though, right?" Eagle asked tentatively from the door, keeping watch with Wolf. The other two units said that they had gotten most of the faculty here, but they were not taking any chances.

"Someone call for Shark and Lion to get down here." Snake muttered, taking a look at Alex's back. The other three men shared a look, knowing if Snake was asking for the other two medics, something was not good. Wolf muttered into his radio, giving the two other soldiers their position. As Snake worked on cleaning off the dirt from the boy's back, he heard a small, pained groan. Fox was instantly at Cub's head, talking quietly to the boy.

"It's going to be ok Cub, we're here to take you home. Snake is just trying to stop some of the worst bleeding. It's ok." Ben keep muttering the same words over and over to keep the boy calm. Ben was pushed out of the way some when Shark and Lion ran inside the cell to help Snake, but he kept talking to Alex, hoping the boy could hear him.

* * *

Alex slowly opened his eyes, seeing the dark figures standing around him. He heard someone talking, but couldn't distinguish their words as he slowly became conscious, so he panicked, thinking it was the "doctors" lackeys coming to take him back. He tried to swing at them, but he was too weak.

"Whoa Cub, calm down!"A voice above him shouted, a pair of hands resting on his shoulders, holding him down, another pair on his hips, another on his legs. _Cub? How do they know my codename?_ Alex thought weakly, blinking more, trying to see the faces of the men who surrounded him in the dim light.

"Keep talking Fox, we are almost done, Shark, get him some pain meds now that he is awake. Lion, keep working on stabilizing that fractured ankle." Snake ordered, still trying to stem some of the worst bleeding from the boy's back. _Fox?_ Alex thought, _Why is Ben here?_ Alec couldn't get his sluggish brain to work, groaning when someone started wrapping his right ankle, which had been rotated too far back a few _days, weeks, months?_ ago.

"Hey Cub, its ok. It's us, K-Unit. We're here to take you home ok?" Ben muttered to the frightened boy softly. Alex looked up and saw Ben in front of him, and gasped, realizing that the man really was there. He looked over at the door, and now could recognize the shapes of Wolf and Eagle, even though he couldn't see their faces. Alex didn't have the energy to talk but gave Ben a small smile to acknowledge he heard him. Alex had his head pillowed in his arms, so when another man he didn't recognize went to try and take one of his arms, he freaked out.

"Easy Cub! It's ok. That's Shark! He's from S-unit." That was Snake. Alex couldn't see him but knew he was somewhere to his left. When Alex saw the glint of the needle in the man's hand, he really struggled.

"Cub please, it's ok!" Ben again, trying to keep him calm. "He won't hurt you!" Alex wasn't sure if he could believe that. The "doctors" never had good things come out of a needle. He felt a hand gently take his arm, he looked up seeing Snake.

"It's alright Cub. It's just pain medication. It'll help ya boy." Snake slowly slid the needle into Alex's arm, and dispensed the meds. Alex couldn't fight him as the medication entered his body, slowly taking the lightning hot pain he felt throughout his body for days with it. He sighed in relief and got a chuckle from another unknown soldier to his right.

"That's the good stuff right there" he joked with the pained boy. Alex let the three medics work on him, enjoying the break from the constant pain he was used to. He shivered slightly, guessing the sun had gone down a while ago. It was always cold in the cell, but when it got dark, the temperature dropped almost double. He let out a small whimper when one of them touched a particularly sore spot that the meds hadn't touched yet, but was too tired to do much than shiver.

"We need to get him out of here, it's getting colder" Someone muttered, possibly the unknown man. He heard echoes of agreement from the other two medics, and then tuned them out as they devised a plan to move him. He didn't even realize he drifted to sleep.

* * *

 _Rust is showing on my armor._

* * *

 **OK, so quick note. So I figured everyone wouldn't be allowed cell phones and stuff like that, but I figured since Ben is a special case, and it is only used for communicating within MI6, he was allowed to have it with him, so that's why he has it.**


	8. My War Is Over

**A/N-Guys, I am SOOOOOOO sorry for how long this took. Seriously. College got in the way. Plus, this chapter fought me. I was having trouble about halfway through writing this. So, sorry about this chapter in general.**

 **Also, the next chapter may not be up for another 2 weeks, as I have three exams all within two days, one of which is organic chemistry :0.**

 **StarStepper- the name does not come from the song per say (but it may come up *wink wink*) but it comes from the quote "It takes a village to raise a child. It takes a village to abuse one"**

 **As always- I love your reviews, predictions, whatever! Reviews make me happy :)**

 **Disclaimer- Not Mine**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

 _Don't you ever leave me alone_

 _My war is over_

 _Be my shelter from the storm_

 _My war is over_

 _I am a sad boy_

 _-_ The War, SYML

* * *

The next time Alex woke, he was being slightly jostled in someone's arms as they traipsed the stairs out of the basement. The meds, thankfully, were still working, so the slight jostling he was getting didn't hurt.

"Sleep Cub", the person, Snake, who was carrying him, muttered softly. The boy wanted to see the compound he had been held in, but the promise of peace in sleep overwhelmed him, and he fell back into bliss.

* * *

The second time Alex woke, he didn't even remember it. The three units had finally gotten the boy to the helicopter, and laid him on the stretcher, getting him strapped in and ready for transport. The onboard doctor took one look at the boy and immediately started barking orders at the three medics. They were all galvanized into action when Alex, who was obviously panicking, fought against the straps holding him down. Snake kneeled at the boys head, watching the doctor insert an IV into the boy, talking to him, trying to calm him down.

"It's ok Cub, we're getting out of here." Snake tried to calm down the boy. When it seemed Cub could not hear him and was in no way about to calm down, the doctor ordered Snake to sedate the panicking boy.

* * *

The third time Alex woke up, it was in the hospital, hooked up to an abundance of machines that buzzed and beeped, and jumped with his body. He looked small, surrounded by pillows and blankets, all white, with dozens of tubes and wires connected and coming out of his body. K-unit sat around the boy, waiting for their youngest member to wake up, listening to the reassuring beeps from the heart monitor.

About 24 hours into their vigil, the boy starts to stir. Ben is the first to be at his side, talking quietly and reassuring the boy, hoping to save off another panic attack. Alex slowly opens his eyes, taking in Ben's face above him to his right, and a little farther away, Snake's face to his left. He imagines the rest of K-unit are behind the two somewhere. After taking in the two soldiers, the first sensation Alex feels is all the wires and tubes connected to him, making him feel itchy. He huffs in annoyance and receives a chuckle for his show of emotion.

"How are you feeling?" Fox asks cautiously.

"Uh, Ok, I guess," Alex answered, his voice rough from the screaming he had done previously at the hands of his captors, and disuse for the past day that he was unconscious.

"Feeling any pain anywhere?" Snake asked from his left. Alex shook his head, relieved that whatever they were giving him was stopping the fire of pain that coursed through his body.

"Good" a new voice spoke up from the doorway. It was the doctor who was overseeing Alex's care until he was well enough to return back to Beacons. When Alex saw the doctor, he froze, memories from his time in the basement coming back to him full force. The only indication that he was panicking was the increasing beeping of the monitors.

"Alex? Alex are you Ok?" the doctor asked, approaching him.

"F-Fine" Alex stuttered out, wishing the doctor would leave him alone. The doctor nodded, obviously not believing him, but kept his distance, looking over Alex's chart.

"Alright, well, I'll be back in a little bit, just relax for now." With that, the doctor checked the fluids going into Alex quickly and then left. When the door closed, Alex sighed in relief. All of K-unit noticed. They didn't mention it.

* * *

The next time the doctor walked in, Alex tried to keep himself calm, silently telling himself that this doctor was not going to hurt him. He stayed tense and on edge throughout the exam the doctor gave him, and only relaxed after he left. Just like last time, K-unit noticed. Unlike last time, they did say something.

"Cub, uh, are you ok?" Snake asked hesitantly, not sure how the boy would react to him questioning his mental state.

"I'm fine." the boy huffed, rolling his eyes slightly at the medic's worry, but secretly keeping his eye on the doctor who remained in the room, writing something in his chart. Snake, accepting the answer for now, just nodded.

* * *

Alex kept fighting his fear of the doctor, not wanting K-unit to pick at his mind, or worse, send him to talk to somebody. The doctor did tell him that he should be stable enough to fly back to Beacons in about 2 days. Once he gets back, he will probably have to stay in the infirmary, especially if Snake has any say. To be honest, he couldn't wait for a change of scenery. Despite not being able to move, whether his muscles spasmed and put him in a world of pain, or the stitches that covered his body pulled his skin, he wanted to get out of his room and run. He was going stir crazy. The window in his room was on the far wall, and he couldn't really see out of it as it pretty much faced another building. All Alex wanted to do was stand in the sun, an action that he had been denied for so long. As a little boy, he pretty much lived outdoors, thanks to his uncle. Being inside was like denying a puppy playtime.

At the same time, even though he yearned to be out and active, he was still healing, and it would still be a little while until he healed, physically at least. Ben had tried pushed a psychologist on him, but he denied it, knowing it would be the same routine as all the other ones the Pleasures pushed him to go see. The rest of K-unit argued with him, telling him the SAS has specific psychologists just for them, who knew about their work, and he can talk to one of them, but he still refused. He didn't need a shrink telling him he was screwed up in the head.

Around lunchtime, a friendly nurse who had gotten used to the boy's grumpy attitude brought in lunch. Alex had been unable to eat once he woke up, and had been so malnourished that the doctors had placed an NG tube down his throat. Every time he spoke, coughed or basically anything else, it itched and annoyed the hell out of him. The doctor told him sternly, after Alex threw a small tantrum about getting the tube out, that he had to steadily eat orally for a week before it could come out. Alex has been struggling. K-unit has tried helping, but he just gets so upset and annoyed with himself he lashes out at them. In one weak moment, he had thrown a carton of unopened milk at Eagle's head after the man kept insisting he could take another bite. Snake, ever the peacekeeper, told him it would get better, that his body is just healing, and will need time. After that episode, Alex asked them all to leave, stating he needed time for himself.

This time, Alex picks at the soup he was given, not very hungry but feeling the disapproving stares from the soldiers, he brings the spoon to his mouth. He gets about three spoonfuls down before he throws in the towel, shaking his head, and pushing the tray away. He can basically hear the disappointed sighs K-unit would be giving if they didn't have any self-control.

* * *

Later that day, a nurse comes in with orders from the doctor to get Alex up and walking. She gives him a smile, helping to pull back his blankets, as if being nice will help the fire that will erupt as soon as he starts to move. As he sits up, Snake helps her gather his wires and he leans on Ben as he stands. All of his joints crack and pop, not used to his almost non-existent weight being put on them. A walker is thrust in front of him, and at first, he turns his nose up at it, but his first step sees is knee buckling and almost crashing to the floor if not for Ben being right next to him.

"Take the damn walker Cub" Wolf growled, pushing the walker into Alex's hands. "Don't be an idiot" he followed up, softer. Alex took the walker, begrudgingly, but realizing there was no way he could stay on his feet without assistance. He hoped the whole gaggle of men wouldn't follow him out. He got his wish. The nurse followed him, keeping his wires out of his way, and pushing his IV pole along next to him. Snake walked to his left, helping him when he stumbles. They made it to the end of the hallway when Alex paused, out of breath, legs shaking.

"I think that's enough for right now" Snake stated over Alex's head to the nurse, who agreed, and helped him turn back and head to his room. When they finally got back, Alex all but collapsed on his bed, almost ripping a few wires out, but couldn't care at that point. The fire was engulphing him, his head was spinning, and every breath felt like knives were being shoved into his sides. Snake, noticing his pain, asked the nurse if he could get some pain medication. Over the whooshing in his ears, he heard her tell the unit that he was only allowed the minimum dose. This set K-unit into a rage, which only set Alex's head spinning more.

"Enough!" He shouted at them when he couldn't take the noise anymore, throwing the blankets over his head to block out the light. "Go outside if you are going to argue!" With that, Alex turned away from them, closing his eyes.

* * *

K-unit stepped outside, followed by the nurse.

"We want to talk to the doctor." Snake demanded, determined to get to the bottom of the order, knowing Alex should have at least two times the dose he just received. The nurse nodded, telling the unit quickly she would go grab him. After a few moments, the doctor walked over to the huddled group.

"What can I help you with men?" he asked jovially, but frowned at the looks of anger on their faces.

"Why can Alex only receive the minimum dose of pain medication every 6 hours?" Snake jumped right in.

The doctor took a breath, looking down at the chart he held in his hands, presumably Alex's, then looked back up. "I imagine you all are aware of Alex's...profession?" K-unit nodded, waiting for the doctor to continue. "His...employers contacted the hospital, telling us we needed to have Alex weaned off the pain medication by the time he returns home," he finished, a little scared of the glares the soldiers were sending his way. By the nod he received from one of them, he figured it was a dismissal, and fled, returning to his other patients.

"MI6 took him off medication? They are not medical doctors! How can they do that!" Snake ranted, pacing. Ben, seething, started furiously typing on his tablet again, sending a not so nicely worded message to Jones, stating that the doctors were best equipped to make the decision on how much medication Alex should receive. Wolf stood resolutely, arms crossed, looking every bit of his namesake. All he was missing was some sharp teeth poking out of his lips. Eagle was sitting in the chairs in front of Alex's room, looking down at his hands, refusing to acknowledge the little voice in his head that told him they would never get the kid away from '6.

Inside the room lay the boy in question. He curled into a ball, hearing the men yelling about MI6 and their decisions they made over his life. He tried to ignore the little voice in his head that told him he was captive forever, a puppet to their bidding. He would never get away, he would always be under their thumb, little Alex always at their beck and call. When the voice got louder, he succumbed to it, allowing himself to fall into self-pity for the first time since he was rescued.

* * *

When K-unit came back into the room, they had substantially calmed down, mostly for Alex's sake. The boy they protected laid curled into a little ball and looked all of his age. They sighed as a unit, wishing this kid didn't have to be put through this.

"I sent a message to Jones" Ben spoke up, steel undertones in his voice at the mention of '6. "They have no right to overturn doctors orders. And if they ignore me, you'll soon be on SAS soil, and we will take care of you there Cub." his voice softened as he ended his little speech, resting a hand on the kid's shoulder. Alex just nodded, had talked himself into a gloomy and dark mood.

Around dinner time, the friendly nurse brought in dinner for Alex. At first, he picked at it, but Wolf scolded him, telling him the sooner he ate more, the sooner he could go home. As soon as the words left his mouth though, Wolf realized that home to Alex was in fact, the SAS base. Alex ate a few bites more than he had at lunch, the walk from earlier helping rev his appetite. All too soon it was time for bed, and while Alex was exhausted, he knew sleep would not be restful. The doctor had been slowly lowering his dose of sleeping medication each night, and tonight was the first night he was going without it. He made himself comfortable, feeling the promise of sleep pull him in. Closing his eyes was easy, and falling asleep was easy at first. But the images of the "doctors", with their scalpels, and the tub of water, burned into his eyes the minute he fell fully into unconsciousness. Too far into sleep to wake himself up.

* * *

The rest of the unit besides Eagle had gone to find some coffee and late night snacks, leaving him to keep watch over their youngest member. At first, he was surprised Cub had fallen asleep quite easily. But, as the time ticked by, the first clue that something wasn't right was the softest whimpers he heard coming from the bed. If he was being honest, he thought he had imagined them they were so quiet. But they grew in urgency as time went by. Then Cub started thrashing. Eagle was afraid that the kid was going to rip out his wires, fearing what would happen if the boy had to sit through getting them put back in. It was no secret that the unit could tell Cub was afraid of the doctor but was trying to hide it from them. Whatever those bastards had done to him, to make him afraid of a doctor, drove Eagle up so many walls.

Eagle places a hand gently on the boy's shoulder, and whispered "Cub? It's ok, you're safe." The boy did not quiet down, instead seemed to get more upset, and cried out in pain. Eagle jerked his hand back as if he had been burnt, worried he caused the poor kid pain. This time, he leaned closer to Cub, still whispering, knowing when he had to wake Wolf from his nightmares, talking loudly just made the man panic more. "Come on Cub, your fine. It's me, Eagle,you're in the hospital. You're safe." Realising he was not getting through to the boy, and his thrashing was getting worse, he was about to press the button for a nurse when the rest of K-unit bustled through the door. "Oh thank god!" Eagle exclaimed, knowing Ben had better luck with getting Cub out of nightmares. "Ben, help me, please. He is having a nightmare...I cant wake him, or at least comfort him." Eagle informed him miserably, wishing he could stop the boy's mental anguish.

Ben all but pushed his way over to Cub and gently laying a hand on the boy. "Cub, come on, its Ben," he whispered, just like Eagle had. It seemed Ben just had the magic. Cub started to calm down, his whimpers coming less often, his restlessness disappearing and becoming still. "There, just sleep" Ben whispered again, watching the heart rate monitor Cub was still attached to fall back down to normal levels. They all sighed in relief, dodging that bullet.

The unit all sat around the now peacefully sleeping boy, quietly munching on their late night snacks, each reflecting on the situation they have found themselves in, and the recovery the boy laying in the bed in front of them now faces.

"We have a long way to go," Wolf stated bluntly.

* * *

 _Don't you ever leave me alone_

 _Be my shelter from the storm_

 _My war is over_


	9. Reclaim Myself

**A/N- Oh my...I am so sorry guys! It's been a rough few weeks, between midterms, papers, and illnesses, I just had no time to write. I hope you all are still around! I'm hoping that never happens again, but it probably will once finals week rolls around, ugg.**

 **Disclaimer- I do not own, nor am I a psychologist.**

 **Please review, it makes me very happy :) I hope you enjoy!**

* * *

 _So I'll reclaim my body and my soul_

 _Banish the broken from my bones_

 _-Exorcism by Clarity_

* * *

When it was time to leave, the nurse disconnected him from various wires, but kept his IV in, stating that the doctor on board requested it stayed in. Alex sighed, wishing people would _just stop touching him!_ All he wanted to do was lie in bed without being tangled in wires and tubes. And he still had the stupid yellow NG tube sticking out of his nose. He was getting better, but his shrunk stomach, coupled with the growing depression and overwhelming anxiety that he continued to deny existed, kept him from eating much. He always felt nauseous, and just wished they would stop pushing the subject.

When the pilot gave them the all clear to board, and he was disconnected, Wolf pushed a wheelchair towards him, indicating that Alex was to get into it and allow him to push him to the helicopter. Alex blushed red but seated himself in the wheelchair without any fuss. Once they got him into the helicopter, the doctor got him laid down on the stretcher, Alex trying to suppress his flinches everytime the doctor got close to him. Snake helped get Alex strapped in, and hooked back up to the various machines the doctor wanted him on. Alex laid his head back, hoping he could just relax on this trip. He closed his eyes, not wanting to face his unit, pulling the blanket that was given to him further up on his body. He never fell asleep, but the rest help some.

* * *

When they finally arrived at Beacons, Alex was taken straight to the infirmary so the doctors could assess him and his health. He figured he "failed" when the doctor frowned at him and then ordered him to stay laying on the bed. He just wanted to go home dammit! _Well, technically I am home,_ the bitter thought crept into his mind, _all I want is_ my _bed._ Alex laid on the bed, huffing and sighing every time the nurses came into check on him. The rest of K unit, including the other two units that helped them rescue him, were in a debriefing meeting. He knew very well they were talking about him. He still was sore and weak, so making an escape attempt was out of the question, but realistically he knew the only way he would overcome those two hindrances, would be to get his body moving, which none of the doctors were having. Every time he tried to ask to go for a walk, he was shot down, being told that he was a fall risk, and they didn't want him to get hurt. To say he was frustrated was an understatement.

To make matters worse, they took it upon themselves to assign him a psychologist, when he was adamant he didn't want one. Dr. Richman was an older gentleman, with gray hair, and big round glasses. He used to be a Sargent somewhere in the US Army, he told Alex once, but Alex tuned him out. Dr. Richman comes in every morning to talk to Alex, who for the most part, just ignores him and lets the man talk himself hoarse. Alex doesn't necessarily resent the man, he knows he has a job to do and is only doing what he was told to do, but he wishes he had more control over his life. He told the doctors that he _did not_ want a shrink, and they play the minor card and throw one at him. So he takes his resentment at having the control taken away from him out on Richman.

On the first Wednesday that Alex is present in the infirmary in Beacons, K-unit shows up while Alex picks at his breakfast. Raising his eyebrows, he watches them all take their seats. This is the first time they have visited him since they dropped him off. And while he was, begrudgingly as he will never admit this out loud, upset about being so alone, he knew life went on, and the unit still had work to do. They all sat in silence as Alex ate what he could, then pushed his plate away. He didn't know how to start a conversation, or what to even talk about when a knock on the door saved him, or so he thought. Dr. Richman walks in, jovial as ever, smiles to Alex, and recovers quickly at his surprise in seeing visitors.

"Ah, you must be Alex's unit. I am Dr. Richman." Richman shakes each soldier's hand, then sits in the seat Wolf had vacated for the man. "I normally don't allow visitors during sessions but given Alex's...displeasure in having me here, maybe you can help me. I have been meeting with young Alex here for the past 3 days, and have yet to receive answers to any of my questions. All I get is a blank stare." The unit digested the information given, while Alex stared at his hand that had the needle in it. After giving each other looks over Alex's head, Wolf nodded their agreement to help, Dr. Richman just smiled back.

"Alex? Can you look at me?" Dr. Richman requested softly, knowing harsh tones and bitten demands were not the way to get to the boy. Whether that was due to his trauma, or his resistance to the situation they were both placed in, he quickly learned to be gentle with the boy. He smiled slightly when the boy looked up at him through hair that hung in his eyes. Richman was updated on the boy's behavior throughout the day, and he knew that everytime the nurses had tried to come near the boy with an electric clipper, Alex panicked. He knew eventually the boy's hair would have to be cut short like regulation demands, but he hoped they would take his suggestion of stopping trying to force Alex until Richman found out exactly why Alex was scared.

"Thank you Alex. Now, how about we have a nice talk with your unit ok?" Still keeping his voice soft, but he put a small bit of steel, to let the boy know this was not something he could get out of. The boy just sighed, but nodded, Richman noting the dark circles under his eyes that have been growing. The boy was obviously tired. "How have you been sleeping, Alex?"

Alex seemed to think, categorizing his nights into "bad", "ok", and "good", realizing that most of the time, he didn't sleep at all. He was about to lie and tell the older man that he was fine when he caught Wolf's eye. Wolf's eye that actually held concern in it. That made him swallow down that lie, and rethink what he was going to say. He must look like a mess if Wolf looks _concerned._

"Not great" Alex whispered, his voice hoarse from disuse. Richman smiled, happy that the boy was talking. "I...I get" his eyes flickered around the room, fearful at admitting weakness in front of his unit, startles when a hand squeezes his arm, turns to see Eagle had taken perch in the chair next to his head on his left side and was offering him support. Alex swallows loudly in the quiet room, then continues, "I get nightmares about...about _them._ " He admits, not making eye contact with Dr. Richman or his unit. Alex braced himself for bitter laughter or mocking voices, but it never came. He slowly raised his gaze, first to Dr. Richman who gave him an encouraging smile, then to his unit. They each held varying looks of concern and... _understanding?_ It just didn't make sense to him.

"Cub...that's nothing to be ashamed about. We all get nightmares too." Fox told him, voice hushed, but carried through the room. Alex glanced around the room to see the others nodding.

"Is there anything you want to tell me what happens in these nightmares?" Dr. Richman asks, watching the boy's body language carefully.

Alex seems to hesitate, not sure if he wants to approach this topic at all, but is slowly realizing that no one in this room will judge him. He clears his throat, pulling himself into a sitting position. "Um, I am um...on the...um...table they used...and uh, they ..." Alex runs a hand through his hair, his distress obvious to the doctor.

"Take your time" Eagle murmured, understanding.

"They...they have you guys in the room, and they...hurt you and I cant do anything...and they kill you guys...and then they hurt me..." Alex's voice breaks despite his efforts to try and keep it steady, his hands shaking now. "They...they kill ...Jack, I can't stop them...they kill my best friend, Tom, Sabina and her parents." Alex goes quiet, sniffling some, breathing harshly. No one speaks at first. Eagle squeezes his arm a little harder, offering support.

"Thank you, Alex." Dr. Richman murmurs, his hand over Alex's. "They cant hurt you anymore, I promise. You're in the safest place you could be." Alex nods, knowing a few words are not enough to keep the nightmares away. Dr. Richman glanced at his watch. "Well, would you look at the time! Our session is over. Alex, you did great today. K-unit, could I have a word with you please?" When the unit gave their acceptance and stepped outside, Alex sighed, knowing yet again, he was being talked about. He had to admit he felt... _lighter_ now that he confessed about his nightmares. And, he got acceptance from his unit. That was the factor that most scared him. His unit thinking he was weak, not fit to be with them. _When did they become_ my _unit?_ Alex thought to himself, wondering when the shift from the anger he held at the four men to accepting them as _his_ unit happened. And also when he was worried about what they thought about him.

15 minutes later, K-unit walked back in. Alex was kind of surprised, he figured they had places to be, training to do, recruits to scare. They all sat down, quiet. After a few minutes awkward silence, Snake finally broke the silence.

"Cub, none of us think you are weak, or a burden or whatever else is going through that thick skull of yours" Snake leaned forward in his chair, hoping Alex would look up at him. "We _get it,_ ok? We all know what it's like, and all have been through the thoughts that are probably moving at lightning speed inside your brain right now. Just promise us that before things get bad, really bad, you tell Dr. Richman. He's a good man. He wants to help. He wishes he could stay longer, but he has other patients he has to see." Snake leans back once he realizes Alex won't look up at him but knows the boy is listening to him.

"Cub we're sorry couldn't have been here sooner. Once we got back, we had to debrief and then we were thrown at the recruits, no matter how much we argued. Apparently D unit is down 2 members. So, they asked us to help, since we're the only other units that are qualified really. So, we are sorry." Wolf muttered, not good at saying sorry. "But, we will make it a priority to try and visit you. Your part of this unit, we won't abandon you." Alex tried to hide the shocked breath he sucked in at Wolf's declaration.

"O-Okay" Alex whispered, not sure how to respond to the force in Wolf's voice. A knock at the door saved him from further embarrassment though, a nurse kicking them out so Alex could get checked by the doctor and get some rest. The unit left with promises to return either later that day, or tomorrow morning again. After the exam Alex endured, he fell into a restless but dreamless sleep.

* * *

Alex woke up the next morning, groggy and disoriented from sleep. He rubbed his eyes, trying to get his bearings. He heard a knock on the door, not ready for it to open. When it opened without his consent, he froze. K-unit stood in the threshold, but he didn't see them. He didn't hear them slowly walk closer, or Snake putting a hand on his shoulder, talking to him in a soft voice, coaching him through a breathing exercise, or Eagle calling for a nurse or doctor when Alex wouldn't respond to any of them. The world slowly came back into focus when a doctor shone a penlight into his face, flinching back from it, nothing like the big, hot surgery lights he remembers. When he comes back to himself, he hears a monitor behind him beeping like crazy and is distantly aware it's probably his heart monitor, he can feel his lungs burning from his harsh breathing pattern. He also sees Dr. Richman in the doorway. A part of him wishes the doctor in front of him would go away, and let K-unit handle this. Eventually, through steady coaching by the doctor with the penlight in front of him, he calms down, his breathing a normal rhythm, and his heart thumping at an even pace again. Dr. Richman steps in when the other doctor, Dr. Smith he thinks he overhears, walks out.

"Hello, Alex." Richman takes a seat next to him, placing an anchoring hand on his forearm. Alex, not trusting his voice just yet, nods his acknowledgment. "Can you tell me what just happened? That way we can avoid it happening again?" Previously, Richman had explained to Alex about triggers and such, explaining that any tiny detail could send him into a panic and that knowing his triggers will help him better navigate the world, and recover. Alex smartly scoffed at him, mockingly telling him that he didn't need trigger warnings, he was a freaking spy for crying out loud. Richman placated him by telling him it wasn't a warning, more like being aware of the risk. Knowing he could walk into a situation that could put him and his unit in danger if he didn't know how to properly deal with it.

Alex swallowed, wishing he didn't have to talk about this so soon. "T-They just walked in...I mean they knocked, but didn't wait for me to give the Ok...I-I don't know, I just..." Alex trailed off, feeling bad for putting the blame on his unit who stood right there with him in the room.

Dr. Richman nodded, leaning back in his chair. "So control was taken away from you?" Alex looked at the doctor, confused. "Alex, when you were...taken, every part of your life was controlled. Any rebellion was beaten out of you. They controlled where you were kept, to when they...took you, to when you ate. So, in that moment of that door opening without your consent, your control was taken away as well. Does this make sense?"

Alex looked like he was thinking for a moment before he nodded slowly. "It does actually. But, it's just the door, not really life-altering..."

Dr. Richman shook his head. "It doesn't matter. Your control of who entered this room and when was taken away, and you responded to that. Nothing to be ashamed of. Now we know what to avoid." He smiled, squeezing Alex's arm.

"Cub, I'm sorry" Wolf apologized, being the one who opened the door first.

Alex shook his head, "It's fine. You didn't mean to" and the subject was dropped.

* * *

Alex continued to talk to Dr. Richman, who was slowly getting more information from the boy. As Alex also offered more verbalization to the doctor, he also was getting better physically. He didn't feel as nauseous, was able to eat more, which in turn gave him more strength. He was now able to take walks down the infirmary halls twice a day and stretch his legs. Finally, after a week and a half being in the infirmary at Beacons, the doctors decided to take the blasted NG tube out. Alex about threw a party. When K-unit walked in, knocking and waiting for his acceptance for them to enter, they noticed the ugly yellow tube was not sticking out of his nose anymore. They congratulated him, knowing he worked hard for that achievement.

But not everything was going well. Alex still felt jumpy and ready to shake apart. He mentioned it a few times to Dr. Richman but felt that he still wasn't feeling better even after a long talk about what he believes to be his triggers. Dr. Richman nodded his head thoughtfully.

"Alex, it may take a while for you to...get over being his jumpy, shakey. The breathing exercises we went over yesterday will help in those moments, but I can also offer you medication...I know how you feel about that, but I can give you a low dose, just enough to take the edge off." Dr. Richman watched Alex carefully.

Alex thought through the offer. "Can I get back to you later?"

Richman smiled. "Of course Alex, you always have a choice."

* * *

Alex sat surrounded by K-unit while they all ate dinner, no one really talking. Dr. Richman had mentioned to the four older men that sharing their experiences and fears may help Alex a great deal. Not knowing how to approach the subject other than jumping right into it, Wolf blurted out "I can't sleep alone."

Alex stared at Wolf, not sure where the declaration came from, not sure what he was talking about. "What?"

"I cant sleep alone. I have to have someone else in the house with me, otherwise, I won't sleep."

Alex, still very confused, was saved by Snake. "Dr. Richman thought it may be a good idea if we talked about what scared us, or what made us uneasy. Kind of like in solidarity I guess. To show that you're not alone. We all have our issues Cub, even Wolf, who acts like nothing bothers him. We all have our ways of coping, but as a unit, we have to learn to cope together. One of those ways is sharing when somethings wrong, or when our gut tells us a situation doesn't feel right. It's what keeps us alive."

Alex stared at Snake after his speech, not believing that the four men were about to tell Alex their, possibly, deepest fears.

"I cant do fireworks" Eagle admitted, poking his food with his fork, looking sheepish. "On a tour we went on, we were stuck under fire, in the dark, and in the sky we could see the enemy's shots, and while fireworks are bigger, they just remind me too much of that night."

Alex nodded, not sure what to say, not even sure if there was anything to say.

"I can't be in crowded place, especially if my back is exposed," Fox told them, rubbing the back of his neck.

Alex nodded, knowing how that felt.

"I cant be touched or grabbed from behind, or have someone grab my wrist." Snake shifted in his chair. "My girlfriend hugged me from behind one day, and I elbowed her in the face, and pinned her to the ground." Snake winced, obviously still feels bad about the incident. "A man on the street grabbed my wrist to get my attention because I dropped my wallet once, and I dropped him. Luckily he was really understanding, but it was embarrassing trying to explain that I thought he was an enemy insurgent creeping up on me, despite being on the streets of London." Snake sighed, running his fingers through his short hair.

Alex figured since everyone gave a piece of themselves, he might as well. "I hate boats" was all he said. They never pushed him.

Alex decided to try and get their views on the offer Dr. Richman made him.

Eagle leaned forward, face serious. "Cub, we all have had to take something to function. Hell, half of the base should be on something. It's a high-stress job, and what you went through is more than enough reason to be allowed to have them without being judged. I can confidently tell you all four of us here have, on numerous occasions, had to take something. Whether we were on leave and at home, or here on base and just needed something to help take the edge off, its nothing to be ashamed of. And if it helps you sleep more, well then that's a bonus." Eagle sat back after his speech, seeing Cub taking his words to heart.

"In my experience, they help. But obviously, it's your body, your decision. You will have Dr. Richman helping you every step of the way, so if you have any trouble, you can talk to him. He's not going to abandon you after you get out of the infirmary. I think hes taken a liking to you." Snake chuckles, effectively lightening the mood. Alex laughs right along with them.

* * *

The next day, Alex tells Dr. Richman he will try the medication. Dr. Richman gives him a smile, going over everything he should know about the pills. He takes them for the first time with dinner in front of K-unit, none of them paying attention to it. That night, Alex has a peaceful, dreamless night.

* * *

When Alex wakes the next morning, it's to a knock on the door. He allows the person to enter, seeing a nurse walk in, a rare smile on his face.

"Time to break out Cub" the nurse exclaimed, starting to detached Alex from the various machines he was still attached to. Alex, blindsided by the news, stays stock still, eyes wide.

"Wait, seriously?" he asks tentatively, hoping this wasn't some mean joke, but sighs in relief when the nurse hands over discharge forms.

"Yup. Get those filled out, and your good to go. Your doctor should be in shortly to discuss some things, but other than that, your free." Once the nurse finishes, he walks out, leaving Alex to fill out the forms. As he does, his unit walks in, obviously hearing the good news, smiling and roughing housing slightly with each other.

"So, heard you're making an escape attempt Cub" Eagle bounded up to him, flopping into the chair next to him. Alex just laughed. Shortly after he finished with the paperwork, his doctor came in, tell him to take it easy, and giving him some pain meds for the lingering muscle pain he still had. There were a few other instructions, but Alex would worry about them later, all he wanted right now was to sleep in his own bed, for the first time in what felt like years.

* * *

 _Manifest a better part of me_

 _Gotta rid you from my system_

 _It's time for an exorcism_

 _-Exorcism by Clarity_


	10. We're So Screwed

**A/N- Hey guys, back with another chapter! Another three tests this coming week, so I might not have another chapter out by this time next week again. I also may be possibly putting out an Avengers fic sometime, so if you're interested let me know. Not sure when it'll be, I have a few different plots running around, gotta find the right one.**

 **Disclaimer-Not mine.**

 **Please, please, please review! It lets me know what people like (or don't) and that people are reading this story!**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

Alex all but face planted into his bed when they arrived back to K-unit's hut. He groaned, happy to be back in his own bed. While it wasn't the comfiest, it was his. He huffed in annoyance when Wolf called for lights out, turning himself around to get situated under the covers. He didn't want to ask, and he was sure Wolf already knew, but he wondered what his schedule was going to be like now that he was out of the infirmary, yet still not fully healed. He figured he could do some of the easier exercises, given how his body felt, but nothing too intense. He also knew that Snake would be watching him with hawk eyes. To think of it, they all might watch him closely, to make sure he wouldn't reinjure himself. He fell asleep to thoughts of how far he has come within the unit.

* * *

The next morning he was awakened rather pleasantly; Ben was crouched next to him, a little distance away, softly calling his name. When he opened his eyes, he found that not everyone was fully dressed, and he wouldn't feel so rushed to be ready within a few minutes. He sat up, and swung his legs over on to the floor, watching Ben retreat back to his bunk to grab his jacket. Alex surveyed the weather outside the window above Eagle's bunk, who was still snoring loudly. The rain pattered down on the roof, making the sky a grey color. Alex sighed, pushing himself out of the tangle of blankets he acquired during the night, and changed quickly, doubling up on his socks, and putting a long sleeve undershirt on. He pulled his jacket on just in time to see Wolf drop some of Snake's books on Eagle's bedside table, right next to his head. The man startled awake, quickly gaining his surroundings, then giving his leader a glare. Soon, all five men were dressed and ready for breakfast. They trudged out into the rain, Wolf groaning loudly at the puddles that instantly crept into his boots, soaking his only pair of socks. Everyone else just snickered.

They made it to breakfast, each man getting a tray and getting what the base tried to pass for food. From there, Wolf lead them over to a table close to the front, allowing Alex a seat with his back to the wall. Alex relaxed marginally, eating his food, while he watched the goings-on of the mess hall from his peripheral. He recognized one of the soldiers walk in, leading a unit up to get food. At first, he wracked his brain trying to figure why that one man, in particular, was familiar when it hit him. That was the second medic that helped Snake when they found him. Alex dropped his fork, the silverware clattering onto the table, making a high pitched _ring_ sound. His unit looked at him as he tracked the medic's movement with his eyes. When Eagle turned around to see who he was looking at, he understood.

"Shark" Eagle informed him, turning back to his food.

"What?"

"The medic. He's one of the ones that helped rescue you. His name is Shark." Eagle explained, motioning for Alex to continue eating. The boy nodded, accepting the information, picking his fork up to finish his food off. The unit that the familiar medic belonged to noticed them and sat next to them. They chatted until it was time to leave, to Alex's relief, no one asked about him. He didn't think he could share details at the moment. Just seeing the man brought up too many memories.

When they arrived outside, Wolf handed Alex a piece of laminated paper.

"Your schedule for now. You have reevaluation in the infirmary in two weeks. "

Alex took the paper, taking a peak. He would go and talk to Dr. Richman, then join the unit in the sparring hut. He imagined he would be just watching his unit, doubting they would let him get back into something such as sparing so soon, but it would still be nice to be included in his unit. After that was a lecture or two, and then lunch. Then some more lectures, which he imagined K-unit would not be apart of. They included topics like basic first aid, dealing with different cultures, and language barriers. Of course, Alex expected he knew all of the material they would cover. After the three lectures, he would rejoin K-unit at the obstacle course. He hoped he could at least run beside them as they ran it.

* * *

He said goodbye to K-unit as they headed to their morning exercises and to Dr. Richman's office for his morning session. Alex has come to appreciate the man and trusted him. He gave a strong knock on his door, waiting for the affirmative to enter. Dr. Richman smiled wide when he entered.

"Alex, boy! How are you?" Dr. Richman greeted him jovially, as he did with everything he did.

"I'm doing ok, better now that I am back in my own bed" Alex answered him, taking a seat in the comfy office chair opposite of Richman.

"Good good. How is the medicine doing?"

"Uh, ok I think. I mean, I haven't noticed anything bad yet. I can sleep a little better, and today in the mess hall, I didn't feel like I was going to jump out of my skin."

Dr. Richman smiled, glad they were working for the boy "Good. If anything seems wrong, don't hesitate to get a hold of me." Alex nodded, accepting his orders. "Now, how are you feeling today?"

"Well, uh, I was ok this morning, but the rain...I don't know, just made me feel...grey? Like I don't know how to describe it, but everything just feels grey. Like I may be happy in a moment, but just grey covers everything. Just down...sad. I don't know.."

Dr. Richman listened carefully, letting the boy talk. "Do you believe you are depressed Alex?" He asked softly, already knowing from all the signs he has seen the boy defiantly was, if not from this experience, then from every experience his life has given him.

"Um...I ...I don't know. Maybe?" Alex sighed, looking down, tapping the armrests of the chair, a nervous habit he picked up inside Richman's office.

"Alex, I believe you do have depression."

Alex nodded, thinking.

* * *

His session with Dr. Richman was enlightening, to say the least. It also ran over the time it was supposed to, which left him running to the sparing hut to not be _too_ late. When he arrived, K-unit was already halfway through warming up. he quickly joined in with the simple exercises, like jogging in place and jumping jacks. After he is warmed up, he stretches with the rest of them, then quickly takes a seat at the far end of the mat with the other Snake and Fox, the two who are not currently sparing. He can feel both of them looking over at him after his brief exercise, but to him, it felt good to move. He smiled when he caught Fox looking once and the older man looked away, blushing some. He watched each pair fight, picking out their fighting styles, when they were gonna move, and what move they were gonna throw. It made just watching a lot more interesting.

After sparring was up and the other men cooled down, they headed to their first lecture, something about tactical rescues. Alex listened, somewhat interested in the topic, but his mind kept drifting to the conversation Dr. Richman and he had. Dr. Richman believes he suffers from PTSD, which would explain his anxiety and depression, though Alex doesn't really see the connection. He told Richman that PTSD was reserved mainly for soldiers who come back from duty, not while actively training. Richman gave him a sad smile and explained that anyone could have PTSD, including those who are not soldiers. If a person experiences a traumatic experience, they are open to developing PTSD. He gave him a book to read, as well as a few handfuls of paper of printouts from various websites.

Alex was shaken from his thoughts when Wolf closed his notebook loudly, signaling the end of the lecture. He stood, and followed his unit out to the mess hall for some lunch.

* * *

By the end of the day, Alex was exhausted. It was his first full day up and moving around, and all he wanted to do was crash land into his bed, preferably face first. He walked through the threshold of the hut, already in the process of taking his jacket off, and flopping on his bed, letting out a groan. Wolf chuckled.

"Long day?" he playfully sneered, no malice behind it.

"You have no idea" Alex muttered into his pillow, kicking off his boots. He struggled out of his undershirt, then throwing on his nightshirt, groaning when the motions pulled at his sore muscle from his brief exercise. He received a few chuckles.

"Ah, screw off, you would be sore too" he ground out, pulling himself into a sitting position to pull off his pants.

"That's why you are on light duty Cub!" Eagle chuckles from his bed, smirking when a fake glare was sent his way from the boy. "Don't worry, you'll appreciate this once your back with the big boys."

Once the playful banter died down, Snake seriously asked "But really, are you alright? It was your first day, so I expect you to be a little sore, but if anything really starts to hurt, or wakes you up in the middle of the night, let me know. Or if you're just generally uncomfortable. No reason to power through it if you don't have to"

Alex nodded "Will do, thanks." With that, Wolf turned the lights out, and Alex rolled over and fell asleep.

* * *

It was early when Alex first woke up, the soft light of sunrise coming through the small window. All of the other men were still asleep, Eagle snoring loudly, spread out on his bed like a starfish. It was a wonder how the unit could pass overnight stealth training with him. Alex sat up on his bed, sore, stiff muscles groaning in protest. He gave them small little stretches. Nothing that would hurt him more, but just something to help loosen them up. Once he was sure that he would be able to walk, he pulled on his jacket over his, and quietly pulling on his boots. He silently moved through the hut, and out the door. The morning was brisk and damp, dew hung to leaves the hung down in front of the hut, and the grass that kissed the small path that leads to the steps. This was Alex's favorite time of that day. It was quiet, save for the birds that talked to each other from the trees, and the distant shouting from men returning from the midnight patrol. He walked to a big tree that sat a little ways away from the path, carefully climbing to the first big, steady branch that would hold him. It wasn't too far up, close enough he could jump down if needed, though in his condition it would probably hurt, but far enough up he was half covered by leaves, and those not paying attention would never find him. He sat there, listening and watching as the base woke up, soldiers coming out of their huts like bears waking up from hibernation, stumbling and swaying as they headed to get their coffee and breakfast. Some shouted jokingly at each other, pushing and shoving in good-natured play. He sat there for what felt like forever, enjoying the morning, before checking his watch and realizing K-unit would be up soon. He carefully climbed down, careful of his still healing body, and crept back into the hut, changing into his day clothes. He sat on his bunk, in contemplation, until the rest of the unit woke up.

* * *

When he arrived at the sparring hut that morning, he felt a little lighter. He told Dr. Richman he read over some of the material he gave him and could see why the doctor had given him the diagnosis. It made him feel more validated to have a name to what he was feeling, and that not only many other soldiers currently in the camp suffered, but he was not crazy. When Richman asked for him to tell him one good thing that happened between the last session and now, he mentioned his time up in the tree, and how he used to do it a lot as a kid, watching the cars go by, or read a book.

Today, he was present for the whole warm-up, he modified some of it, and also had to take some extra breaks, his body not fully cooperating, but Wolf gave him a pat on the back after they finish stretching. Alex again sat and tried to predict each soldier's moves. He was getting better at it.

* * *

The rest of the day moved quickly, Alex again faceplanting into his bed at the end of the day. His body felt achy, but in a good way, like after a hard workout. Wolf had been called to a meeting as they left the mess hall from dinner, so the other four sat, quietly reading or doing something else to keep themselves busy, waiting on their leader's return.

When Wolf stormed through the door, he looked all like his namesake, and almost even growled.

"Whoa, what got you so worked up?" Fox ventured, obviously not scared of the wolf.

"RTI is next week." Wolf snapped out, flinging his hands in gesture. Alex felt three different glances three different times in the span of two minutes.

"What about Cub" Snake braved, concerned for the boy's physical and mental wellbeing. An exercise like RTI so soon could send him over the edge.

"Cub, you're excused from the exercise due to your physical health. Us, however, have to go through with it. " Wolf groaned. Everyone hated RTI, dreading the thrice-yearly exercise. Alex nodded, relieved he didn't have to participate. The thought of the training made the hair on the back of his neck stand up.

As the night wore on, stories were told back and forth of RTI, including the only one Alex was present for. Soon it was lights out, and all soldiers fell asleep.

* * *

The week passed by slowly. Alex went through his schedule and slowly felt his body accept the small bit of exercise it was given. He soon was not as sore or as tired every night as he had been the first week. He was making progress with Dr. Richman as well. He no longer jumped at every shadow he came across or hunched into himself whenever an instructor yelled unexpectantly, catching him off guard. He could feel the tension from his unit as they mentally and physically prepared themselves for RTI the following week. One lecture he didn't have to join in was the RTI lecture series, where they told them how to resist, even though most of the units had gone through this exercise multiple times.

The night before RTI, the unit sat in their hut, Wolf was carving a piece of wood with his knife, Fox was doing some work on paper and pencil, and soft scribble almost drowned by Wolf's harsh scratching, Eagle was surprisingly quiet, reading some sci-fi book he had stolen from Alex, and Snake was also reading. Alex was going over more material Dr. Richman had given him, his understanding of his diagnosis growing. It helped him navigate through the murky waters of his triggers and anxiety. He hadn't had a panic attack in three days. Despite the calm looking demeanor of all the soldiers, the tension palpable. Alex flicked through his materials, Wolf's carving and Fox's writing a steady background noise until Wolf declared lights off. He wondered how much sleep the other soldiers were going to get.

* * *

The morning was chaos. The other men were dressed and ready by the time he was up, Wolf actually snapping at him to hurry and get dressed, then promptly walking out, slamming the door. Fox gave him a sympathetic look.

"He's just nervous. He doesn't mean it" Fox ran after Wolf, hoping to calm the man down.

Alex didn't say anything, just nodded. He understood. At breakfast, the camp was like a ghost town. Some full units didn't even show up, too nervous. Those who did ate quietly, no one in the mood to talk.

As Alex went his separate way, he noticed the helpless look Wolf shot his way as they walked to the lectures they would be involved in all day, lectures that went over RTI. He felt bad for them.

* * *

When the day finally ended, his unit was already back, all laying down, doing their own things by the time he got back. _They must have been let out early to rest_ he thought, changing into night clothes then laying down. No one said a word. It stayed that way till Wolf quietly grunted out that it was lights out.

* * *

Alex first thought it was a dream. Cold, harsh hands wrapped around his arms, pulling him from sleep. He quickly realized that was not the case. Everything in his mind screamed how wrong this was. He was almost paralyzed with fear, and he was laughed at for it. A bag was shoved over his head, and he was herded out the hut and into the cold night air. He tried to tell them that he was not apart of this, that they need to put him back, but the fear that paralyzed his body still held his voice hostage, it's fingers winding up his throat until he felt like he was choking. After what seemed like forever, his bare feet were probably bleeding from the walk, he was thrown into what smelled like an old barn. The smell of straw and sweet feed still hung in the air. The men laughed, leaving him there.

"Oh, shit" he heard as he ripped off the hood, coming face to face with his unit. Alex shook, his heart racing. He felt his world narrow to the little space of dirt he stood on, and all he could smell was the sharp metallic bite of blood, the harsh laugh of his captors, and the cold tendrils of the cell he couldn't escape from. As he fell down to his knees in shock, Snake tried to catch him before he hurt himself.

Someone forgot to tell the RTI coordinators he was _not_ to be apart of the exercise. He was so screwed.

* * *

 **A/N- Am I too mean to Alex? :)**


	11. Panic Room

**A/N- uhh..so hey guys. I'm really sorry that this chapter is so late. I got caught up in school work, and for the past week I have also been in the hospital. Also, this chapter is shorter than usual because I wanted to get something out to you guys as quickly as I could.**

 **So yeah. Please review! It'll make me feel better :)**

* * *

 _Welcome to the panic room_  
 _Where all your darkest fears are gonna_  
 _Come for you, come for you_  
 _Welcome to the panic room_  
 _You'll know I wasn't joking_  
 _When you see them too, see them too_

- _Panic Room- Au/Ra_

* * *

Alex stayed on his knees, shaking in Snake's arms, breath harsh and fast, eyes wide but not seeing the barn he was in. Instead, all he saw was the dank cell he was kept in beforehand, the chill making his whole body shiver. He didn't even flinch when Wolf went and pounded on the door, screaming at the top of his lungs. Eagle stayed staring wide-eyed at the terrified boy in front of him. Fox gulped, then joined Wolf at the door, yelling obscenities at those who tossed the boy in with them. Snake tried to bring the lost boy around, back to the present, but he received no indication is efforts were succeeding. Alex stayed trapped within his mind, no rescue in sight.

* * *

Wolf and Fox had finally yelled themselves hoarse and had just sat down on the dusty floor when the boy started to come around. Snake had sat down, bringing the boy down with him so he lay with his head on his chest, hoping another human's heartbeat would help bring him around. Alex started to wiggle in Snake's hold, grunting noises coming from him softly.

"Easy Cub, it's ok" Snake murmured, hoping to keep the boy somewhat calm. Alex's head shot up, wide eyes taking in the scene before him.

"W-Where the hell am I?" he shouted out anxiously, already trying to escape from Snake's grip, who was not letting him go.

"... you're in RTI with us" Wolf broke the bad news, watching the emotions filter across the boy's face.

"W-Why?" he asked, more urgently, eyeing the door.

"We don't know. It's locked." Fox answered, following Cub's eyes to the door, "regardless, you shouldn't be here, so someone messed up. We tried getting someone's attention, but no one came." Alex looked defeated.

"We will get you out of here Cub" Wolf said with conviction. The boy in question just nodded, laying his head back against Snake's chest in a rare show of fatigue. Alex was half trapped in memory and half in the present moment. The harsh conflicting scenes were disorienting, and all he could do was hold onto something or someone.

Eagle tried the door again. "Open up you sick bastards!" He pounded on the door, bruising the side of his fist.

His efforts seemed to pay off. Heavy footsteps were heard coming towards the door, which was then thrown open, knocking Eagle onto the seat of his pants.

"And what in the hell is all this ruckus about? Are you all that excited to tell us the information we want?" The big soldier sneered, eyeing Alex in Snake's arms. He scoffed. "And why in the hell is there a boy here?" The man crossed his arms, basically taking up the whole doorway.

"He's not supposed to be here. Check the roster for K-unit. He's been exempted from RTI." Wolf explained, trying to keep a calm head, keeping his distance when he noticed the taser attached to the soldier's side.

The soldier laughed, his body rocking backward. "You think I'm gonna believe that? Even if I did, your gonna have to give me some information in return" The soldier smirked, putting K- Unit in a difficult spot. Get Alex out, or fail RTI, which has its own extreme consequences.

Snake glanced at Wolf, giving him a small nod. A silent conversation went on within the unit, the soldier stood in the doorway still, patience visibly running out.

"Take me," Fox spoke up, standing next to Wolf, shoulders pushed back. Everyone knew what these soldiers did to those who tried to protect a team member. Showing any sort of empathy in front of them was seen as a weakness.

The soldier smirked, his eyes moving to Alex curled up in Snake's arms, a small shiver passing through his body every so often. "You. Come with me" he pointed to Snake, his smirk widening. Snake didn't show any surprise, gently passing the catatonic boy to Eagle's arms, standing and following the man, the door slamming closed behind him loudly.

Alex didn't seem to register the change in arms he was laying in, a small sound of distress escaping him. Eagle looked down at him in worry, then laying his head against the cold wall behind him, hoping Snake can convince them to just check the roster.

* * *

Snake came back 20 minutes later, pushed into the room they were being kept in, blood coming from his temple and running into his eyes. As soon as the door was shut, Fox came over to check Snake over.

"I'm good, just a little roughing around. Nothing I cant handle" Snake explained, wiping the blood out of his eyes.

"Are they going to at least check?" Wolf voiced from the corner.

Snake shrugged, letting out a rough sigh. "I asked them to, quite politely to, considering they were using my face as a punching bag. He just said they _might_ check."

No one said anything, just glanced at the still shivering boy in Eagle's arms, still voicing his distress.

"He cant stay like that. We have to try and knock him out of the stupor he is in. Eagle, try _gently_ shaking him awake. Speak to him." Snake commanded, worried about the boy who didn't improve.

"Hey Cub? Hey come on, we need you here and now. You're with us now, ok? You're not alone anymore." Eagle kept up his mantra, giving the boy's shoulder a small shake. Nothing happened. Eagle sighed, but kept at it, hoping maybe the boy would come around.

* * *

 _Alex was trapped in a small room, just big enough for him to raise his arms, the sounds of screaming coming from beyond the door in front of him. He already tried opening it, to no luck. Footsteps could be heard pacing in front of the door, a shadow moving restlessly. He couldn't even stand up in the room. He waited there for what seemed like forever. Finally, the screaming and pacing stopped simultaneously. Someone could be heard speaking, but the words were indistinguishable. The door was then thrust open, harsh light blinding Alex temporarily. While unable to see, he heard four thumps, like bodies landing on the floor. When he could see, he saw the bodies of his unit members, eyes open and unblinking. He screamed, scrambling to get away until his back hit the wall. The figure at the door laughed, his laugh morphing into the sound of the "doctor's" laugh he heard often. Bright hot lights turned on above him, and he found himself strapped to a table, his unit the same. Yet they were dead. Was he dead too? He struggled, the straps biting into his skin, more laughter from behind him. A scalpel was thrust in front of his eye and slowly lowered..._

Alex sat upright, gasping for breath. He heard four yells of surprise, especially from under him. He struggled against the arms holding him, getting a good elbow in, and catapulting himself off the warm body. He turned to see Eagle holding his nose, his other hand placed out in a calming gesture.

"You're okay Cub. It was just a dream." Eagle muttered, voice distorted from under his hand. Alex's eyes skittered around the room, a cold feeling of dread building up within him. RTI was not a dream.

"We're trying to get you out," Wolf informed him, glancing at the door.

"We won't let them hurt you" Snake declared from the corner he was sitting in, using a sock to stop the blood flow.

"We won't let them take you," Fox said, moving closer to the skittish boy.

Alex nodded, trying the calming techniques had taught him, sitting down in the warmish hay. He grounded himself in the present moment, holding off the flashbacks that pressed against his mind. The unit created a loose huddle around him, keeping each other warm, and reminding Alex he was with them.

* * *

Alex didn't fall asleep. One unit member was always awake, whether to keep watch on the door or him, he wasn't sure. He was afraid if he closed his eyes, he would forever be trapped in a nightmare. Footsteps neared the door around what Alex could guess as 3 am. The door was thrust open, and a soldier with a look that could scare the devil stood. Snake, who was currently on watch, ushered everyone awake. For a few moments, K-unit stared down the soldier, no one flinching away.

"I heard we have hitchhiker. I also heard that you're not supposed to be on the roster for RTI kid. Well, it seems you all are wrong. There are 5 names on the roster. Wolf, Fox, Eagle, Snake and" his eyes moved to each soldier as he said there name, then his eyes landed on Alex. "Cub" He smirked at the shocked faces. "Looks like no free rides for you kiddo. Time to pull your weight" With that, he threw a copy of the roster into the room, shutting the door loudly. The silence that followed his departure was deafening.


	12. There Watching As I Fall

**A/N- Hey guys. Sorry again for this taking so long. I had so much catch up work. Good news though- the semester is almost over! Which means there will be faster updates within a few weeks. Again, this chapter is shorter than usual because I wanted to get something out to you.**

 **I Loved ALL the reviews from the last chapter, thank you so much! Please, reviews make me so happy!**

 **Disclaimer-nope, not mine.**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

The silence was deafening. Everyone stared at the piece of paper that had been thrown to the floor like it may come alive and eat them. After the initial shock passed, the unit looked up and traded glances with one another, disbelief written clearly on every single face. Alex's face held one of terror. Wolf slowly moved toward where the paper lay, approaching it like it was a wild animal. He picked it up slowly, sighing when he saw that Cub's name was on the paper.

"Shit" was all Wolf could mutter, before viciously ripping the paper to shreds. There was nothing they could do now to protect Cub if they absolutely wanted him.

"I'll take watch. Everyone get some sleep, you too Cub" Wolf commanded, taking position near the door, crossing his arms defiantly. Like stubbornness was going to protect Cub from this nightmare. Everyone found a spot on the floor, closing their eyes, but they knew sleep was not going to come fast.

* * *

It was about 6 am when Wolf heard footsteps outside the door. He quickly woke the others. The four soldiers stood in a line in front of Alex, who stayed seated behind them. The soldier in the doorway smirked, crossing his huge arms.

"Cute. All trying to protect little Cubby there, huh?" the soldier heckled them, watching their reaction. None of the unit spoke, keeping their expressions neutral. "Well, it is not gonna help. Either move or be tased out of the way. Your choice." No one moved still. The soldier smiled wider, his teeth an ugly yellow. He stepped closer, pulling the taser from his belt, brandishing it, pointing it towards Wolf first.

"What about you Mr. Wolf? Gonna move, or am I gonna have to tase your ass into unconsciousness?" Wolf shared a glance with the others. They agreed to protect Cub, but if they are unconscious, then who will help him when he comes back. Before Wolf could make a decision, a hand was at his back, pushing him out of the way.

"I'd prefer if you didn't electrocute my unit, thank you very much. Their much too stupid on their own without you killing off more brain cells." Alex stepped forward, false bravado displayed for the RTI soldier to see, but his unit could see right through it. The soldier smirked, putting his taser back in its holster.

"Glad you decided to see reason." With that, he harshly grabbed Alex's arm, yanking him from between his unit, and through the door. K-Unit made to grab for Alex but was unsuccessful. The door slammed in their faces.

* * *

The RTI soldier, who Alex decided to call "Yellow Teeth" considering he seemed not to know what dental hygiene was, was walking so fast, Alex could barely keep up. He tripped over his own feet, and almost landed face first on the concrete floor. Eventually, they arrived at a large concrete room. Yellow teeth pushed Alex in, effectively putting him off balance and Alex landed face first this time. He felt his nose give under the force, but turned and glared at Yellow Teeth, who wore a stupid, gleeful smile. Alex stood, keeping his eyes on Yellow Teeth, but also getting a feel of the room. It was totally bare except a single chair in the middle. Alex snorted to himself. _How cliche._ In front of the chair was a small table with obvious tools underneath a sheet. Not fooling Alex. Yellow Teeth came up to Alex, grabbing his arm, pulling him to the chair, depositing him into it. The soldier held him there while another, smaller soldier came from behind, effectively tying his hands behind him, and to the chair. Once secured, the two men moved off to the side of the room. While the soldiers conversed quietly, Alex took the time to center himself. He took a few deep breaths, letting himself slip into his mindset he usually reserves for his missions. He figured the only way he would survive this without having a breakdown in front of these men would to just act like this was a mission. In a sense it was. He took a few more breaths, letting his emotions like fear slip into the back of his mind, even though all he wanted to do is curl up into a ball and scream and cry. He can't imagine the nightmares this will give him. By the time Alex centers himself, the two soldiers turn back to him, smirks on their face. The smaller soldier runs out of the room, the door shutting loudly in the quiet room behind him.

"We getting this party started?" Alex sneered at Yellow Teeth, faking a yawn. In this mentality, quips came easy, even in the face of death, or his worst fear.

"Oh, this party is one you don't want to be started" Yellow Teeth sneered right back, getting right up in Alex's face, who didn't flinch. "What's your name boy?"

"Cub."

"No, your actual name."

"I cant tell you that" Alex countered back, face impassive.

"Fine then." Yellow Teeth proceeded the slap Alex across the face, jarring his already twisted nose from falling earlier. Alex gasped in surprise, not seeing the hit coming. _Focus Rider!_ "What's your name!" he demanded harshly

"If you think one silly slap will convince me to blabber, your wrong."

"Oh, we are just getting warmed up" Yellow Teeth smiled creepily. Regardless, he raised his hand to slap Alex again. Alex, seeing it coming, braced for it. The hit turned into a punch, Alex rocked to the side in his chair, shock written on his face. The chair had moved slightly left of center, Yellow Teeth grabbed the armrests, and in turn Alex's arms, and harshly twisted the chair back to face center. "What's your name."

"You wish you knew."

The smaller soldier came back, with two buckets of water. At the sight, Alex's blood ran cold. His face must have shown what he was feeling because Yellow Teeth snickered.

"Tell us your name and we won't use the water kid"

Alex shook himself out off his panic, centering himself again, face become impassive. "Go screw yourself".

Yellow Teeth looked over at his buddy and shrugged. Yellow Teeth turned back to Alex and quickly drew his fist back, punch Alex, repeatedly this time. After about a minute or so, he stopped, laughing.

"Now just sit there while we get this water ready." Yellow Teeth walked over to his friend, getting ready. Alex let his head fall back, catching his breath from the beating. Blood ran into his eye, but he couldn't wipe it away. He took a few deep breaths, trying to center himself, but memories pushed at the corner of his mind. He tried to ignore them, but a flash of his head being shoved under water before he could get a breath made him hold back tears.

Too soon the RTI soldiers turned back to him, gleeful smiles on their faces. They heaved the buckets of water next to him, and a dark cloth was produced.

"One last chance kid."

"No."Alex squared his shoulders as the smaller soldier threw the cloth over his face. The light from the room was muted, and he couldn't see either man. He took as deep a breath as he could, preparing himself. When the water first hit him, he bit his lip to keep in a yell of surprise. It was _cold._

"What's your name?" Alex just shook his head. The cold water came back. He was asked again. He didn't give in.

"Take him back, let him think about his decisions." This was Yellow Teeth. After Alex made the connection, he was untied from the chair, but his hands were kept tied, the cloth still over his face. He was roughly pulled from the chair and was dragged from the room. He started to let down his barriers. He was going back to his unit. After a few minutes, they stopped, and the sound of a door being unlocked was heard. The cloth was ripped off his face, and he was shoved into the room, not able to catch himself as he hit the ground, turning so his shoulder took the brunt of the impact. He heard yells of surprise, and a door slamming shut, but all he was concerned about was keeping away the panic attach he felt clawing at his throat.

"Cub?" Snake kneeled in front of him, worry etched in his face. "God, your freezing." Snake pulled him closer so his body heat could help. At the same time, he felt someone untying his hands, which he shook to get blood flow back. Once his unit was circled around him, rubbing his arms to get heat back into them, or just staying close, he let the panic flow through him, and broke down, letting the tears flow. Why did he have to go through this?

Before he cried himself to sleep in Snake's arms, he heard a voice exclaim harshly "Whoever did this, we are going to find them, and bring whatever kind of hell on them we can."


	13. The Wolves

**A/N-Hey guys! Long time no see...sorry about that! I have one final left and then I'm free for the summer! Yayy!**

 **As always, please review, it makes me happy! (especially during finals week)**

 **Disclaimer- nope not mine**

 **Warning- some discussion of suicide ideation at the end.**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

Alex woke up to harsh, brash voices. He could distinguish those of his unit, and two others he did not recognize. He sat up slowly, rubbing the sleep from his eyes to watch the scene in front of him. In the doorway stood two, stocky backlight figures. They were smaller than even Snake, who was the shortest of the unit, Alex notwithstanding. He couldn't see their faces, but they wore midnight black suits, not the uniforms that they or the RTI soldiers wore. A small sliver of dread filled Alex's stomach to the brim, the water he drank a few hours ago threatening to make a reappearance. He feared the worst reason these men could be here.

"Why couldn't you of gotten here earlier!" Wolf shouted, right into the faces of the men in suits, not caring about the spittle that landed on the lapels on one. Why give them basic respect when they couldn't provide a member of his unit with some. He couldn't care that one of them even leaned away from him. Let them be scared.

"Sir, we are sorry that we were unable to get here sooner. But we could not just send the information over an email given the sensitivity of it. Please, follow us." The men turned to give the unit a few moments to gather themselves. Fox turned to see Alex sitting up, watching the shouting match.

"Hey Cub" Fox greeted softly, kneeling next to the boy.

"What's going on," Alex asked, letting a bit of sternness enter his voice. No use beating around the bush. If these men had come to take him on another mission, it was best to let him start to prepare now.

"We...we don't actually know. They came in, saying something went wrong, and that we need to follow them to talk to their supervisor..." Eagle trailed off, gathering the few things the unit had grabbed on their way out of the bunks a night ago. Alex didn't respond, instead focused on gathering himself up, and following the unit out the door. The unit followed the suits to an unmarked cabin that sat next to the Sargent's office. The dread in Alex's stomach grew. It threatened to swallow him whole, a black pit eating away at his psyche. He just wished for this to all stop. They stepped into the dusty, rarely used cabin, which was still dark. Alex had to shake his head for the dramatics of '6. Behind an old desk sat Mrs. Jones, who gave them all a tight smile. The Sargent stood behind her.

"Please K-unit, have a seat," she said with fake pleasantness, a smile that dripped with deceit. Alex saw right through the forced politeness and gave her a small sneer in return.

"We'd rather stand, thanks" Wolf growled, glancing at their Sargent, who held as much contempt for the lady in the room as they did. Wolf knew he could get away with showing clear disrespect.

"Well then, glad this will be short then. I want to apologize for what seems like a mistake on our part. Cub was never supposed to be with your four in RTI, and it seems like either when getting written up or when being sent, the roster was messed with. We apologize for our mistake. That is all." Jones said, her fake smile plastered on, with her make up painted just as glaringly. Alex wanted to be sick. Preferably all over her. Make her fake smile and fake face ruined. _That's gross Alex_ he thought.

"You're sorry? That's it? Do you have any idea!-" Wolf started to yell at her, moving closer to the desk, the only furniture besides five chairs in the room but was cut off.

"Wolf, enough. Leave. Go back to your cabin. You have the day off, get some rest." The Sargent ordered, his voice leaving no room for arguments.

The unit filed out, simmering with anger.

* * *

When K-unit arrived back at their cabin, Wolf exploded.

"Can you believe her! The guts she has to come in here, thinking that we will just accept that!" Wold paced, the path familiar, a few boards in the cabin lighter than the others from his repeated habit. Probably one of the only vices Wolf carried with him.

"You can obviously tell she wasn't really sorry. If that was even the truth. She could have put Cub in their on purpose, and when she found out that he had a breakdown, she probably realized it was a bad move." Snake murmured, staying quiet, watching the boy in question take the Sargent's orders to heart. He was currently curled up on his bed, wrapped in the bare blanket the SAS provided. After Cub had fallen asleep last night, he had developed a fever. Snake believed the cold barn they were kept in, plus the cold water that was dumped on the boy was to blame. He was worried about him developing pneumonia, but obviously, the RTI soldiers didn't care. During the night, Cub had woken on many occasions, calling them names of people they have never heard of, or reliving his nightmares. It was a long night for all of them, and by the time Cub's fever broke, Eagle was being dragged into the interrogation. When Cub woke after Eagle returned from a lucid nightmare, the boy broke, sobbing into Wolf's shoulder about how scared he was of '6, and even going as far to say that he wishes he was dead. That confession drove cold fear into the four soldiers gathered around the boy. They may have resented him at first, but there was no way they could lose him now. Especially from MI6.

"Somethings just not right. How can you just mistakenly put someone down? There has to be someone double checking. I mean, don't those lists go through the infirmary, and through the Sargent to make sure everyone's fit to complete the training? Cub would have come up as a red flag." Fox brainstormed, wringing his hands, glancing at Cub every now and then. "If someone was paid..." He let his mind wander, thinking of even the wildest possibilities.

"The Sargent wouldn't let that happen would he?" Eagle spoke up, voice small, hoping someone would tell him that could never happen. That the Sargent would never let anything go above the health and safety of his soldiers. They always believed that the Sargent would ultimately put the wellbeing of his soldiers above anyone paying him to do otherwise.

"He couldn't of. He may not be my best man at my wedding, but he wouldn't let us get hurt. He's fought for me on more than one occasion" Wolf countered, his pacing stopped by Snake standing in his way. Wolf was more than well known for getting in trouble with the rules governing the SAS. Most of the time, he broke them in the heart of getting the job done with as few casualties as possible.

"We should all get some sleep. We will deal with this tomorrow." Snake tried to convince them, ever the voice of reason. Everyone, even Wolf, slowly agreed, exhaustion taking hold.

* * *

When the unit awoke the next morning, they all but Cub had a mission. Cub stayed tucked in bed, the boy sleeping through the four other soldiers getting dressed. Snake was torn between letting the exhausted teen sleep or getting him up to get food. He decided that sleep was more important to heal the boy, and left him with a small note telling them where they went.

The unit walked to the mess hall to grab something quickly to eat, then walked briskly to the Sargent's office, determination exuding from them. Wolf knocked firmly on the door, waiting for the affirmative to enter. The four soldiers entered, standing tall.

"And what can I owe this visit to?" the Sargent muttered, looking just as tired as his soldiers in front of him.

"What really happened with Cub?" Wolf jumped right to the point, not bothering to give a lengthy apology for his actions.

The Sargent sighed heavily, his shoulder's looked liked they carried the world. "Men, what Mrs. Jones told you is the truth. Somehow the mistake slipped through our checks and Cub ended up where he shouldn't of been. It won't happen again."

Wolf watched the Sargent shuffle some paper, his body language conveying that he was not being truthful, but he bit his tongue. Obviously, without the suits watching over him, the Sargent still won't tell them.

"No offense sir, but I call bullshit" Eagle snapped, turning and walking out. The Sargent didn't seem to have enough energy to reprimand the younger man and dismissed them all.

"Something else is up" Fox muttered as they walked back to Cub, who they hoped was up by now.

* * *

When they arrived back at the cabin, Cub was awake but was still curled up in bed. Honestly, the unit didn't blame him for wanting to stay in bed.

"You don't believe Jones do you?" Cub asked, voice barely audible above the stomping of Eagle trying to pull his boots off. His voice conveyed a hopefulness that someone will be in his corner for this fight for once. Someone will help him back on his feet and dust the dirt off his shoulders once the dust settles down.

"No Cub, we don't" Wolf assured the boy, seeing relief course through his body. The small change made Wolf's heart hurt. He wasn't a very sentimental man, but he knew that something was wrong when a government organization used a boy for adult work. And then threw him to the wolves. "Or at least we believe there is more to the story than she is telling us. The Sargent won't tell us anything either."

Cub just nodded, yawning. He snuggled deeper into his covers, falling back to sleep to the soft tones of Fox and Snake playing cards.

* * *

When Cub was awoken by Snake for dinner, the shadows of nighttime had already descended the camp.

"Dinner Cub. You haven't eaten all day. Come on." He encouraged the boy gently. Cub stood, pulling on a jacket over his shirt and boots on, a chill entering the cabin through the open window above Eagle's bed. They walked to the mess hall in silence, ate in silence and walked back. Cub fell right back to sleep. They all sighed.

Once they were sure Cub was asleep, the four men sat to have a serious talk.

"Do we really think he is seriously suicidal? If so, his therapist needs to know" Fox was the first to speak up, worried that, despite what Wolf said, that Cub's ramblings were not just some fever hallucination.

"I wouldn't be surprised if he was, but he had never said anything about it. And his therapist won't tell us anything, that would break confidentiality right?" Eagled glanced to Snake, who looked to be in thought.

"If his therapist thought that he needed to be watched, I believe legally we are allowed to know, but I cannot tell you for certain." Snake muttered, looking at the table they sat at.

"We could just yaknow, ask him" Wolf glanced over at Cub's sleeping form. "He has made progress with Richman, I feel like he may be open to telling us if we bring it up."

Snake shook his head. "And when is it ever the right moment to ask 'hey so, remember that time you had a fever and were rambling? Well, you mentioned you wanted to off yourself, and we wanted to know if you were serious'. Wolf that's just not how this works. We should tell Richman and leave it up to him. I am all for helping Cub ourselves, but if he really wants to get away from MI6, there is nothing we can do. He needs a professional. Once he works with Richman some, then we can help" Snake sighed, ending his speech. Everyone else stared at the table.

"Alright, lights out," Wolf muttered, standing and flopping onto his bed. He wasn't the only one who stared at the ceiling for a good part of the night in thought.


	14. Elegy

**A/N- Hey guys! Sorry for such a long time between updates, some more health issues and some writers block made it hard to get this chapter out. Sorry, its kind of short again, I'm finished with finals and all and am only taking one summer class, so I should hopefully have more time.**

 **I have another story (Avengers) that I will also be posting shortly, so if you are into that, keep a watch for that!**

 **Disclaimer-not mine**

 **Enjoy and please review!**

* * *

The next morning found Wolf kneeling at the head of Alex's bed, trying to rouse him from sleep.

"Come on Cub, our day off is over. Time to go back to work" he sighed, wishing he too could just stay in bed. It was another dreary day, when was it ever not, with the clouds constantly threatening to open up and let it rain. The boy in question groaned, rolling over onto his back, heaving out a slightly dramatic sigh. Wolf hid a smile, finding Cub's morning antics funny. Eagle's could be annoying, taking two grown men to wake up the guy, but Cub acted like any other teen his age, despite what the boy had seen and done.

"Let's go Cub. Wakey Wakey." Wolf knew the teen was awake by the way he was breathing heavier, and stood, letting him get up without being overbearing. The rest of the unit was still not fully dressed, so there was no need to rush him. Wolf walked over to Eagle's bed next, a slow, mischevious smirk creeping onto his face. Wolf descended on the still sleeping man, yanking the pillow from underneath his head, while simultaneously ripping the threadbare blanket from his body. Eagle shot up swinging, but instead of hitting Wolf, he crashed his knuckles into his desk. Eagle howled, bringing his hand close to his chest. Wolf roared with laughter, holding his side. The other three members of the unit watched with mild amusement at the antics of the two members.

"Not funny Wolf!" Eagle cried, shaking his hand out. He didn't get any sympathy from Wolf, who was still bent over laughing.

"Oh yes, it is!" Fox laughed at Eagle, tying his boots. Cub had a small smile, pulling his jacket on.

"Alright hurry up! If we miss breakfast I will not be happy" Snake grumbled lightheartedly, throwing Eagle his jacket that somehow ended up on Snake's side of the cabin. Eagle kept grumbling as he quickly pulling his boots on. Everyone groaned as the sky opened up as soon as they started walking towards the mess hall.

* * *

K-unit made quick work of breakfast, eating their fill then taking their run. Cub followed them, albeit slowly, his body still adjusting to being back at full work. But he kept up. When they arrived back at camp, it was round after round of push-ups, crunches, and more, leaving all five men laying in the dirt, gasping for air. From there, the unit attended lectures on weapons, first aid, and stealth. Then it was time for lunch. They all ate with gusto, even Cub. After lunch, the unit continued their day until it was time for dinner. After dinner, the unit trudged back in the slopping rain, which had been a constant all day, and face planted into their beds.

* * *

The next morning was met with a loud, unrelenting knock on the cabin door. Wolf grumbling, pulling himself from his bed. He glanced over at his unit as he got to his feet to see Fox, Snake, and Cub had already been woken up by the intruder. Eagle, as usual, kept on snoring. Wolf yanked open the door, a frown posted on his face. He was met by another soldier, Rabbit if he was correct. The older man held a piece of paper in his hands and handed it to Wolf.

"For you man." Was all he said before walking off. Wolf took the paper, still frowning. He shut the door and turned back into the cabin to see his unit all awake.

"What's that?" Eagle questions, sometimes too curious for his own good. Wolf shrugged, opening the envelope. The first thing that caught his eye, and made his blood run hot and cold at the same time, was the MI6 seal on the letterhead. Wolf's frown deepened, not liking where this was going. He careful read through the letter once, twice, three times before looking up to the six expectant eyes.

"Well?" Fox asked, gesturing to the letter clutched within Wolf's hands.

"Umm, well. Uhh..first off, it's from '6." Wolf glanced at Cub to get his reaction. The boy remained impartial. "They said, and I quote, 'after the incident of RTI, we would like to grant K-unit 2 weeks of leave for their troubles.'" Wolf smiled at Eagle's cheer. "'Cub's housing arrangments will be decided by Mrs. Jones and will be notified later this week'" Wolf trailed off as he read the rest of the letter detailing when their leave started and ended, looking at Cub, whose expression had blocked off even more. "Cub.." Wolf started, only to be cut off by the teen.

"Leave it. There's nothing you can do." With that, the boy pulled his boots on, tying them quickly. "We should hurry, don't want to miss breakfast." With that, the boy walked out of the room, not waiting for the four stunned men to follow.

* * *

Breakfast was a tense affair, Cub didn't speak, and kept his head down, pushing the mush around his plate, eating bites here and there. The unit knew that Jones was trying to get Cub in her claws, drawing him closer to her so it would be even harder for him to break out. Wolf would not stand for it. The unit left the mess hall to start their day. Through the exercises, lectures, and lunch, Cub stayed quiet and impassive. His face was stone. Wolf felt himself getting angrier and angrier. By the time dinner had arrived, anything could set the man off. He followed his team back to their cabin, where he announced,

"I'll be right back, I gotta go talk to someone." And then he ran off, not looking back at the strange looks his unit gave him, or the way Cub just kept going, pushing his way through the door and flopping onto his bed. Wolf reach the Sargent's cabin in record time, pounding on the door. He waited for permission to enter before shouldering his way through the door. He was met with the harried and disheveled looks of the Sargent, a look he has never seen on the man.

"What do you want Wolf" the man snapped at his soldier, having no time to deal with his crisis.

"Did you get this letter too?" Wolf showed his Sargent the letter, knowing full well the man knew what he was talking about, a small sprout of worry filling him. The Sargent nodded, clutching the only picture he kept of his family in his office.

"Just let them house him, Wolf, make it easier on everybody" the Sargent muttered, voice full of defeat and resign. Wolf finally exploded.

"Just let them win you mean? Just let them have unrestricted access to him? To send him off to who knows where, to do who knows what, to get killed? Is that what you want to happen? I thought you were supposed to protect us!" Wolf shouted, face red and hot. Anger poured out of his very being like flames and smoke out of a burning building. He slammed the letter onto the desk, towering over the Sargent like a mountain. "I cannot just let them take him! He might be _killed "_ Breathing hard, and still smoking, Wolf takes his leave, not bothering to hear the Sargent when he calls out for him. Wolf, knowing he wouldn't be able to deal with the questions his unit would throw at him if he went back, takes the path down to the lake. He takes some deep breaths, listening to the birds, and the forest, quiet now that all of the units were done for the day. He arrived at the lake in record time, sitting on the pier. He watches the water lap over the shoreline next to him. Somewhere in the distance, the peace is disturbed by a small splash, a fish jumping out of the water. Wolf took a few more deep breaths, trying to calm himself. The anger he felt in those few moments was the most he has ever felt in his life. More than when his father left, or when his brother killed himself, or when his uncle sold the bike he got for Christmas for drug money. He had felt the anger building, the fire grows into a raging wildfire, the earth shaking beneath him. He knows yelling at the Sargent like that was reckless, could end his career, but his emotions got a hold of him. He clenches his teeth, angry tears threatening to spill over.

"He promised to protect us!" Wolf shouted to the fish he saw swimming under him, fists clenched, a hot tear slipping down his face. Why was he so angry? Angry to the point of tears and threatening his position he worked so hard to achieve. What was so special about Cub? It hit him so suddenly that Wolf had to catch himself before he keeled over into the water. Cub reminded him so much of his little brother. The one who decided life was too hard, and that it wouldn't get better, and decided to end it all before Wolf could help him. Wolf had driven as fast as he could, still on the phone, begging his brother not to do it. But it wasn't enough. There, on the pier, Wolf let himself cry over his brother. He didn't let himself cry at the hospital, or at the funeral. No, that was everyone else's job. His job was to be strong. To hold his mother as she sobbed at the graveside for her son who she shouldn't have had to bury. He didn't want the same to happen to Cub. Cub was supposed to outlive him. At this rate, it wasn't going to happen. And if MI6 got a hold of Cub, the boy was going to see the grave by the end of the year.

* * *

Wolf pulled himself together, splashing the water from the lake onto his face, and stood, taking a deep breath. He walked slowly through the darkening forest, letting the sounds of the animals ground him. He checked his watched and realized it was too late to go and apologize to the Sargent for his outburst, so he headed to his cabin. The lights where still on, so he made a show of stepping onto the porch and opening the door so his unit would hear him and not get startled. He was met with three curious faces. Cub looked asleep in his bunk, facing the wall, a blanket pulled up to his chin. Snake put his book down and sat up, a question already on his tongue.

"I'll explain," Wolf whispered, hoping his voice didn't shake. By the look Eagle and Fox shared, and the way Snake sat upright, tight as a bowstring, it did. The three soldiers came round his bunk, sitting on the floor around him like kids sitting around a schoolteacher ready for storytime.

"The Sargent also has seen the letter. He's gonna let them just put Cub wherever. I uh, yelled at him, went down to the lake, had a revelation about myself, and then came back. So yeah...that's what happened", Wolf explained, looking at his hands.

"We can't just let them put him wherever!"Fox exclaimed softly, "I've seen the living quarters they have at '6, and they suck. Worse than this stinky little cabin. On top of that, they would be able to do whatever they want with him." Fox had to close his eyes, the horror overcoming him.

"What options do we have?" Eagle muttered, sounding lost and hopeless.

Snake, who stared over to Cub's bed, yet was unseeing, sighed, adding "Whatever we do, it needs to be quick. Leave starts next week, they could pick him up whenever."

The four men, sighed, defeated. None of them slept very well that night.

* * *

 _Elegy- a poem of serious reflection, sometimes a lament for the dead._


	15. We Tried so Hard (And Only Got So Far)

**A/N-Hey guys! Sorry for the long wait! But here is the next chapter! In case you haven't seen yet, I also posted a new story as well! If you are into the Avengers movies, go check it out! That should be updated hopefully by today or tomorrow.**

 **Disclaimer-nope, not mine.**

 **Please review! They make me very happy!**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

The next morning was met with annoyed groans and rolling eyes. And one very pissed off teenager. Alex knew '6 could come for him at any time, knew that there was nothing K-unit could do or say that would change the situation. So he did what he always did. He soldiered on, and would deal with the hand he was dealt when the time came. No reason worrying about it, when at the current moment, he had to worry about not face planting into the mud.

"Lets go Cub! Move faster!" the instructor was yelling at him from beneath the monkey bars. With a grumbled curse, Alex moved through the obstacle, putting it behind him. Next, he was faced with a 12-foot wall, one of the firsts in the course. He took a few steps back, gearing himself up for the leap it took to reach the top. Since there were no handholds on the wall, one had to run and jump, grabbing onto the top of the wall. Ignoring the yelling from the instructor, and centering himself, Alex took a deep breath. Being one of the shortest people on base, some of the taller obstacles could create a challenge. But he did what he was told anyway. He took one more breath, before sprinting to the base of the wall. When he reached the base, which was concave in shape, he pushed off the balls of his feet, reaching out with his hands. Luckily, this time he made it. A few times were he missed he had some nasty road rash from sliding down the wall. He slowly slid down the other side of the wall and jogged onto the next obstacle, the instructor yelling at him the whole time. Eventually, the man's droning became background noise. Alex slid into a headspace that allowed him to focus on the pinpoint of ground in front of him. Everything else washed away. He could feel the air moving in and out of his lungs in rapid succession, his feet hitting and bouncing off the ground in rhythm with his heart, and the sweat trailing down his back. And how heavy this damn pack he was carrying was. He huffed out a breath, reaching the next obstacle. He got down into the mud, crawling under the barbed wire above his head. And kept his mouth firmly closed, you only make that mistake once. Breathing heavily through his nose, he got to his feet, then immediately jumped into the pond of water that was a few strides after the mud pit. He swam underneath obstacles, swimming hurridly so his head wouldn't be under long.

When he finally reached the end, his unit pounded his back in a job well down. All Alex could think about was the ominous black car that had seemed to show up during their runs.

* * *

During lunch, Alex stayed quiet, eating his food with his head down, but alert. His head kept going in circles, from finding a way to escape, to a way to hide within the units so MI6 couldn't find him to take him. Would it be easier to let them take him, then jack the car and drive someplace remote? But then he would be stuck, and how would get back here? Or he could hide in the woods. He was quiet enough he could outsmart the suits who came to pick him up. Or he could-

"Cub? Come on!" Wolf yelled, close to the boy's face. He didn't want to shake the teen's shoulder, worried that would cause a bad reaction. The teen had stopped eating but had a stare that the Sargent would cower under, directed at the table. Of course, halfway through lunch, they get called to the Sargent's office. They all know what this is about, and felt bad about dragging the boy to '6. But Wolf has an idea. It's a stupid one, one that he should have probably talked to someone about, and maybe even his unit, but Wolf is known to make stupid decisions. Everything turns out ok in the end. Usually.

Cub finally focuses on the world around him, his eyes falling back into emotionless orbs.

"Where are we going?" the emotionless voice asks back.

"To the Sargent's office. They just called us" Wolf answers, knowing Cub is smart, knowing Cub saw the black car earlier, knowing he knows this is when they come for him. But the kid gets up without a fight, throwing his mostly not eaten lunch out, and following his unit slowly to the cabin. Wolf can almost feel the reluctance, yet acceptance coming from the boy. Half of him wants to shake and rattle the boy, hype him up for a fight. Tell him not to just lie here and take the abuse. But the other half, the one he would never admit, wants to comfort him. Hold him close and tell him it will be ok. Something he didn't get to do for his brother.

Eagle knocks on the door, waiting for permission the enter. When they do, he pushes open the door open. There stand three suits. Wolf can tell by the way they are standing, feet shoulder-width apart, arms in front of their bodies, not only are they expecting a fight, but they are armed as well. Wolf's blood turns cold. Why would '6 come armed to pick up a child? A quick glance at his unit shows they all have noticed the same details as him. A frown on Snake's face shows his displeasure, a small look of anger on Fox's, and full outrage on Eagle's. Cub stays behind him almost, but Wolf can feel how tense he his. This boy _is_ ready for a fight. A fight that he faces every time MI6 comes for him. A fight within himself.

"Ah, K-unit! Good to see you again!" Mrs. Jones comes out of a small room to the left, the Sargent following her. It's the Sargent's private room. Discussions that are _very_ sensitive in nature happen in there. A grumble from Eagle shows how much the unit does not agree with Jones. "Well, if Al-Cub has everything ready, we can head off then." Her chippy nature has K-unit on edge, and Wolf moves in front of Cub more so he is hidden from view. Cub doesn't even try to move around Wolf. Wolf can hear the boy's heavy breathing, and wishes they could be anywhere else right now.

"Wait. I want to know where you are taking him. As his unit leader, I have the right to know where each member of my unit goes for a leave." Wolf knows that's bullshit, but he is hoping no one will call him out on it.

Mrs. Jones smiles, and the look would be complete if her teeth were dripping in fresh blood. "Well Wolf, if you must know, we are going to be keeping Cub in the barracks at MI6. He will be perfectly safe there. Complete with a full gym, he can stay up to date on any training. Now, it is a long ride back home, so we better get started. Let's go Cub!" Jones cheerfully claps her hands, gesturing to the three armed guards. Cub tensed even more behind Wolf, a small whimper escaping through the clenched teeth of the boy. He tangled a hand in Wolf's uniform top, feet digging into the floorboards. The boy is terrified out of his mind.

"Wait," Wolf calls again, not sure what else to say.

"Yes, Wolf?" Jones turns to face him, a slightly annoyed look coming over her face before being replaced with the stupid, fake cheerful smile. "What else can I help you with?"

"Uh. I-I was wondering who exactly was Cub's guardian. Given he is staying with you and all, and not them..." Wolf trailed off, trying to figure his way through this. Snake was better at negotiating.

"We, MI6, would be his legal guardians. Now if that is all, we must get going. Alex, come on." Jones started to walk towards the door. Wolf decided this was his only chance, do or die. He took a deep breath, already hearing Snake yelling at him for his stupid choices. _Screw it._

"I would like to adopt Alex." There. It's out. Everyone gets real quiet. Including Cub, who is now on the verge of hyperventilating behind him. Jones stops her journey towards the door, her hand out to touch the handle. Wolf can already see her frown.

"Adopt him? And why is that?" Jones asks, still not facing him. The Sargent has not said one word this whole time.

"Because." Wolf takes a deep breath. A quick glance at his unit shows how blindsided they are by his confession. _Here goes nothing_ Wolf thought. "Because the boy needs a real family. Not some agents to look after him, or to be stuck in the barracks for the rest of his life." There, it was out. He held his breath as Jones slowly turned to face him, that creepy, disgusting smile gone. Replaced with an expression he could not decode.

"Wolf, this...boy" the way Jones says the word, almost like she resents it, makes Wolf's skin crawl. "He is not normal. He could never fit in with a normal, white picket fence family. Now, he needs structure, much like he would find here, and discipline. Otherwise, he would be out pulling stunts, risking his life and others. He needs a firm hand, not someone to coddle him." Jones puts her hands on her hips, almost daring Wolf to challenge her.

Wolf dares to. "He is not some animal. He needs someone to confide in, someone to be an adult. He shouldn't be locked in some bunk for the rest of his life because you're afraid. He's a kid! He likes to be outside, and yeah, he likes to joke around and maybe pull a prank here or there, but guess what? It's what makes him, him! He's a great kid! Smart, funny, and good at what he does. But all you see is a weapon. One that needs to be controlled." Wolf knew he hit a nerve with that. Jones face contorted into displeasure, maybe even rage. He knew he was done speaking by her terms. A small, almost unnoticeable gesture was given by Jones, and the three guards advanced on the unit. Wolf didn't notice it, he was busy glaring right into the eyes of Mrs. Jones, not backing down. Fox noticed it and moved in the way. But it was all for nothing. He was quickly and easily moved out of the equation and put onto the floorboards. The others tried to slow the guards down but were also taken down as well. One of them grabbed Alex, yanking him out from behind Wolf, and pushing him in front of Jones. A pair of handcuffs was placed on him, locked tight with malice.

"Now Wolf, next time you try to get in my way of taking my _charge_ you will be arrested. Have a good leave." With that she motioned the guards to follow her out, stepping through the door, and taking her exit. Alex threw a desperate glance over his shoulder at Wolf, eyes wide and frightened. And like that, he was gone.

* * *

The rest of the unit stepped through the door to their cabin, and Wolf immediately started kicking, throwing, and punching anything he could. Nothing was shown mercy. The other just stood near the door and watched their leader breakdown. Wolf was beyond enraged. Everyone word that came out of his mouth during his temper tantrum was unable to be deciphered. He yelled just for the hell of it. When he finally calmed down, panting like he ran a marathon, Snake edged closer to him. He laid his hand on his leader's shoulder.

"We will get him back. We can drive to MI6's headquarters when we get out. In three more days we will be on leave, and we can see him again." Snake tried to console the man, knowing '6 would probably find some other bullshit reason to deny them access to the boy. But if anything, Cub was resourceful. He would make sure it would happen. Wolf, still breathing heavy, just nodded, too wiped out to do anything else. He flopped onto his bed, watching his unit do the rest. It would be a long three days, but Wolf silently vowed that he would do whatever he needed to get Cub back.

* * *

Alex was shoved into the car, and his hands were locked to a metal ring near where the seatbelt clicked in. This was ridiculous. They were treating him like a criminal! Alex sneered at one of the suits when he reached over him to put Alex's seatbelt on. The second suit started to drive towards the gate. Alex secretly tried to find a weak spot in the handcuffs, frustratingly finding none. Jones knew he would try anything to get away from them. He decided that he would make his escape down the road. They had to stop at some point right? So Alex settled in, giving everyone the illusion he was defeated. He would buy his time, let them believe. And then he would strike. But he just had to wait. Alex settled into his seat as best he could with his hands behind him and closed his eyes. He could almost _hear_ the smirk on Jone's face. _Let them think_ he kept telling himself. And surprisingly, he fell asleep.


	16. Someone You Know

**A/N- Guys, I'm SOOO sorry this took so long. I have recently been obsessed with Detroit: Become Human, and have neglected writing this and my other story. But alas, here is the next chapter. I'm trying really hard not to leave you again for so long.**

 **Disclaimer-Nope, not mine.**

 **Please review and enjoy!**

* * *

Three days later, the remaining members of K-unit found themselves packing their meager belongings, and heading away from the camp. While it was a relief to be getting some sort of break, the weight of event that transpired just a little under 72 hours before now laid heavily on their shoulders. Wolf lifted the bags in the vehicle they had been provided, while the other three men got themselves settled into their seats. 10 minutes later found themselves driving away, heading home. The ride was silent, and Fox, who was at the wheel, gripped the steering wheel like someone was going to rip it out of his hands. His knuckles were white, his fingers creaked when they stopped about halfway to grab food and for a bathroom break. No one spoke much still.

* * *

Alex never got a chance to make his escape. Before he knew it, he dozed off, and when he woke, they had arrived at the bank. A strong hand grabbed his arm and dragged him into the bank. They made their way in through the back door, so no customers would see the men in black suits dragging a teenager in handcuffs into the bank. He was deposited in front of Blunt, a stony mask encompassing his face.

"Alex. It is good to see you," Blunt drawled, obviously not caring if the child was in front of him or not. "I see you choose to spend the next two weeks with us." A slimy smile crept up on Blunt's face, but it was gone as soon as it came. "Your room is on sublevel 6. If you find you need anything, let someone at the front desk know, and they will contact us about your issue. Anderson, please take him to his room. And for God's sake, release him, please. He his an agent just like you."

Alex knew everything the man said was coated in lies, he just couldn't tell where. He stood up as the handcuffs were released. He turned, following the other agent into the elevator. He wanted to run, but he knew the cameras were watching his every move. If he didn't make it down to his room, he would be hunted for sure. When the elevator doors opened, the pair was met with bland, grey walls. The hallway was made of concrete and held a chill that only underground buildings can give. He followed Anderson down the hallway, passed number rooms. A few had name placards on them, others had a piece of masking tape with a name sharpied on them. Others featured no bearing of who lived there. Alex was surprised that so many rooms actually held people. The pair rounded a corner and a gym with a glass wall was in place. Jones wasn't kidding. The gym was fitted out with every machine someone could ask for, plus more. Further down laid a small kitchen. A few more paces, the agent stops at a door, numbered 56. Anderson pushed a key into the lock, turning it and pushing the door open. The door swung open with a creak. It opened into a bland, off-white room, that held a neatly made bed with military corners, a bedside table with a small, practical alarm clock, a desk and a wardrobe. Sitting in the middle of the room was Alex's belongings.

"Most of the men usually eat breakfast together at 6 am before going upstairs to work. Then eat dinner around 630pm after they all get back. Otherwise, get your own groceries, and cook yourself. Anything you put in the fridge, make sure its labeled, otherwise its fair game. Like Blunt said, if you need anything, go to the front desk. Laundry is down the hall and to the left. Bathrooms are adjacent to that. Keep yourself out a trouble, and keep your phone on you at all times in case Blunt calls you. Got it?"

Alex nodded detachedly, scanning the room for any cameras. After getting his affirmative, Anderson handed Alex his key, and walked out, leaving the teen to his own devices. Alex sat heavily on the bed, putting his head in his hands. He thought back to the moment in the Sargent's cabin. Wolf wanted to adopt him? Why? It didn't make any sense, but he figured that Wolf was saying anything at that point to stop them from taking him. Even if he wouldn't follow through with it. _Still, it would be nice not to have to answer to '6 all the time_ Alex thought, hearing the sound of water kicking on, deciding that now was a good time to get a shower. He rifled through his stuff, finding a change of clothes, deciding that he really wasn't hungry and that he would go shopping took the walk down the hall to the bathroom, noticing how quiet the halls were. There was no undercurrent of a TV, no voices of people talking, no other noises. The silence made his ears hurt. He walked into the bathroom, noticing the pristine state it was in. He figured it just got cleaned regularly. He quickly jumped in the shower.

Once he was done, he headed back to his room, the same quiet following him the whole way. He quickly put away his meager belongings and checked the time. It was only 8 pm, but Alex was exhausted. He lied in his bed, pulling out his phone. It wasn't like he really had any friends he could text, and he had a Facebook but had forgotten the password a long time ago, plus what would he write. "Just chilling in MI6's basement, wyd?" Yeah right. He wished he had gotten at least one member of K-unit's phone number before he was dragged off, but he didn't think about it. He figured he could ask around tomorrow, see if anyone knew Ben's. He went through his phone and saw he still had Tom's number still saved. He stared at it, thinking through his decision. It was a possibility that his friend had changed his number after all of these years, but he also would never know unless he texted it.

[ _Tom? It's Alex. Not sure if you still have this number, but if you do...text me back ok?_ ]

Alex started at what he wrote before he pressed send. Why was texting his best friend of many years so difficult? Alex waited for 3 minutes before he impatiently checked his messages, sighing when he received none. He found a game on his phone and started to play that, watching the clock. As the night passed 9 pm, Alex was doubting his friend still had the same number. He was about to give up and try and sleep when his phone gave a familiar _ping_ that designated a text message. Alex hesitantly reached for his phone, which he had thrown to the end of his bed a few minutes earlier in favor of reading one of the books he brought with him. He opened his messages, tapping on the one he sent Tom. The new message he received appeared.

[ _Alex? Is it really you? Holy crap man, I haven't heard from you in forever! Where are you? Are you ok?]_

Alex smiled at the rapid-fire questions from Tom.

He quickly replied:

[ _It's me. I'm doing ok. I..I am not sure if I can tell you where I am right now. Are you free tomorrow?]_

Alex put his phone down and turned back to his book. Sometimes, Tom was fast to reply, other times he was slow. Alex had read one page of his book before his phone went off again.

[ _Tomorrow? Um, maybe. My mom wants to go out shopping, and I have go out with her. If I'm back before it's too late, I'll let you know, sound ok?]_

Alex felt a little bit disappointed but suppressed it. How could he ask his friend to drop everything?

[ _Yeah, np. Just let me know, k?]_

[ _Sure will Alex, see you soon. Bye_ ]

 _[nite_ ]

After that, his phone was silent. He realized everything was silent. It hurt his ears some. He stood up, and grabbed his laptop, quickly logging on and bringing up some soft music to play while he read. It soothed the eerie, uncomfortable silence that lingered in the halls and crept into his room.

* * *

It was 10 pm when Alex's eyes started drooping, and he gave in to the need to sleep. He quickly turned off the music, putting his book on top of his laptop. He put his phone in the charger, and laid down, shutting off the lights. The silence the haunted the building returned, keeping him on edge. He tossed and turned for a few hours, stupid shadows making him jump and feel like a child sleeping in their own room for the first time. At one point, he got up and walked briskly down the hall to the bathroom. The hallways were dark, only every third light was lit. No one seemed to be around. It was very unsettling.

Alex woke up the next morning around 9 am, quickly getting dressed, then checking his phone. No new messages were present. He grabbed his wallet and keys and headed out his door. He needed to get food since he checked the fridge at 3 am last night when his stomach protested his skipping of dinner. He locked his door, then turned down the hall. He quickly moved the elevator, hoping to get out of the building before Blunt realized he was up. He had noticed the cameras in the hall last night and had no doubt that Blunt would be keeping an eye of his activity. He slipped out of the front door of the bank with no issue. He walked quickly down to the closest grocery store. He walked through the doors, grabbing a basket. He walked through the aisle, picking up foods that would be easy to cook, and other snacks he could keep in his room. As he made his way to the checkout line, a familiar face caught his eye. He turned around quickly, the man noticing Alex as well. They both turned to each other, smiling when they met in the middle of the store.

* * *

After the remaining members of K-unit had driven back from Beacons, they dispersed to their houses. Snake and Wolf lived in a two bedroom flat, Eagle lived with his fiancee, and Fox lived alone. They all stayed quite close to each other. Snake and Wolf trudged back into their shared home, sighed heavily.

"This sucks" muttered Wolf, feeling defeated.

"It's really gonna suck, cuz we have no food." Snake yelled from the kitchen, his head inside the fridge.

"Typical" Wolf grunted. "Is there still beer?"

Snake grabbed two from the fridge, walking back to Wolf, handing him one, opening his and sitting heavily on the couch opposite of Wolf. They both took a few sips before Snake decided to break the silence.

"Did you mean it? Back there in the Sargents cabin?"

"About adopting Cub? Hell yeah. That poor boy has had enough shit in his life, he doesn't need anymore." Wolf passionately explains. Snake nods his head slowly.

"I agree. But, do you think you can care for a kid?" Snake questions.

Wolf sighs, looking at his beer. "Look. I may not be the best person the kid could want or need. But I may be the only person standing up for him. That has to count for something. I may not be able to give him a new gaming console this Christmas, but I can make sure he has new clothes and shoes. And I can also make sure that '6 never touches him again."

Snake sighed, then nodded. "You have a point." Snake finished his beer, throwing it in the bin. "I'm hitting the hay. See you tomorrow" With that, Snake headed to his room, closing his door.

* * *

The next morning, both Wolf and Snake were up early. Snake decided that since they were here for two weeks, the house needed to be cleaned. They had put it off every leave, being they were only a few days. Snake was starting a list for the grocery store while Wolf went through the cabinets and threw out expired cans.

"Everything is basically old," Wolf muttered, throwing another three cans into the trash.

"That's what happens when you are not here for months on end. Come on, I think we have enough. Let's get to the store, it's already noon."

Wolf grumbled, hating to go food shopping, especially when it was crowded.

The pair quickly made their way to the store in Snake's car, finding a parking spot all the way in the back, Wolf still grumbling.

"The quicker we get it done, the quicker we can go home"Snake advised, jumping out of the driver's seat. They grabbed a cart and walked into the store. Snake gave Wolf half the list, taking the other half, hoping to make the trip quicker so Wolf would stop his grumbling. Snake grabbed his items quickly and efficiently, dodging other shoppers and their carts while they were distracted on their phones. He sent a quick text to Wolf telling him to meet him by the cash register when he was done. It was then that he noticed a familiar head of blonde hair. And the blonde hair noticed him. They both quickly moved to an empty aisle, as not to be run over.

"Cub!"


	17. This Place is a Shelter

**A/N- ugggg. Guys, I'm so sorry. This took longer than I wanted. I'm sorry this is shorter than usual, but I wanted to get something out for you guys before I went away for two weeks. I won't be able to post another chapter until I am settled back into school, about two/two 1/2 weeks from now.**

 **Disclaimer-Not mine.**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

Alex about cried when he saw Snake at the grocery store. He threw himself into the man's arms, not caring who saw their interaction. He hugged the man tightly, not wanting to let go. He heard a gruff voice behind him, instantly recognizing it.

"Cub?" Wolf questioned the blonde head smothering his medic. The kid turned around, smiling ear to ear.

"Wolf!" The kid threw himself at Wolf as well, burying his head within Wolf's jacket. They had only been separated for a few days, but the way Cub reacted to their reunion made it seem like years had passed.

Wolf pulls Alex away and looks at him an arm's length away. "Are you ok? Are you hurt?" Wolf asks in rapid succession, having to know what the kid's condition is.

"I'm fine..." the boy answered, looking down.

"Cub" Snake scolded, not liking when members of his team lied about injuries.

"I'm not hurt at all. They haven't done anything with me. Just threw me into a room and gave me the house rules, that's all."

Wolf looked over the boy, and it looked like he was right, but '6 wouldn't leave any visible injuries on the kid if they were letting him out of their prison. No, they would leave injuries where no one could see. But Cub didn't seem to be favoring any part of his body.

"What kind of room? What rules?" Snake asked, wanting to know everything that '6 is doing to the boy. It couldn't be too bad if they were letting him out to shop for himself, right?

"Just a standard room. Nothing special. A bed, desk, and closet. Bathrooms down the hall. Except the whole place is underground, so no windows, which is a little annoying." Wolf remembers one training exercise they did, and part of it included crawling through a dark, closed in space, no bigger than yourself, alone. Cub about had a panic attack from claustrophobia. "Apparently, some other agents live there, but I haven't seen anyone else."

Wold internally sighed in relief. Cub wasn't being used in any way... _yet_ a small voice said. That _was_ the whole motive of having him move into their freaking basement.

"But have they said anything about them using you for missions?" Wolf asked.

Cub shook his head. "Nothing. Just to keep my phone on me in case Blunt needs to get in touch with me." They all knew what that meant, but left it alone.

"But overall you're ok?" Snake asked again, worrying over their youngest member.

Cub nodded. "Yeah. Physically I'm fine. I'm bored as hell though."

Wolf let out a snort of a laugh. Cub could never sit still unless the instructors really worked them hard that day. The kid had a lot of energy.

"Are they following you? Could you grab your clothes and make a run for it, or will someone notice?" Wolf thought of a way to break Cub out.

"The front desk might notice...unless I use a backpack. That might not draw too much attention."

* * *

They talked quickly, coming up with a plan, trading phone numbers, and then splitting ways. Alex got back to his room as quickly as possible, gathering his stuff. He was glad he only got shelf-stable groceries now, stuffing that into his bag alongside with some clothes. He figured he could always come back, or just buy new ones. He quickly locked his door, making himself as unsuspicious as possible. He felt like every agent he passed knew he was doing something wrong, and that they were going to immediately tell Blunt. But he eventually made it outside with no issue. He kept his cool and walked normally to the bus stop. He jumped on, taking it to the local mall, which is normal for a boy his age. He walked around some, going in and out of stores, watching for a tail. When he figured he was in the clear, he jumped into the car that was waiting for him.

"Cub! Good to see you!" Eagle jumped on the kid as soon as the door was closed, giving him a crushing hug.

"Eagle! Can't breath!"Cub gasped from underneath one of Eagle's massive arms. Eagle let him go, ruffling his hair. The rest of the unit in the car laughed at the two youngest's antics. Wolf, in the driver's seat, put the car in drive, and peeled out of the parking lot, not wanting to stay there long.

"So uh, where are we headed?" Cub finally asked, having squeezed himself between Eagle and Fox in the back seats.

"Snake and my shared flat," Wolf answered as he dodged a van that cut him off, a string of curse words coming out of his mouth.

* * *

When they finally arrived, they unloaded themselves and Alex's meager belongings quickly, getting themselves back into the house. Alex sat down on a couch as he listened to Wolf and Eagle bicker over who got the remote. Snake and Fox went straight to the kitchen to make some dinner, and Alex quickly sent a text to Tom.

 _[Tom, you busy?]_

Alex waited for a response, watching Wolf wrestle Eagle, Snake shouting from the kitchen that "if anyone gets hurt he swears to God he will let them bleed out on the floor" Alex let a small smile take over his face, thinking back to Wolf's declaration to adopt him. While Wolf isn't the most stable person, he would probably be the best person for him. Being placed with some random foster family, who wouldn't know about his past, or how to handle him and his issues would not be a good idea. _Look what happened with the Pleasures,_ Alex thought, somewhat bitterly. Wolf would understand, he knows what Alex has been through, and has been through some shit himself. Alex was lost in thought when his phone ping, jarring him out of his mind.

 _[Hey Al, sorry, a little busy with my mom. What about tomorrow?]_

 _[I'll let you know]_ Alex quickly typed back as Snake yelled that dinner was ready. The three that were in the living room headed for the dining room, mouths watering at the scent of food. Alex sat at one of the obviously procured chairs, as it didn't fit with the rest of the furniture. He ate with gusto, not used to a homecooked meal. A small, sad smile was on the other four men's faces as they gave little glances to the kid.

After dinner, the unit sat around the TV, Fox grabbing the remote before Eagle or Wolf could. He turned on some movie Alex barely paid attention to. He was just trying to keep his eyes opened. Snake noticed the boy falling asleep, and glanced at the time. It wasn't super late, almost 10 pm, but it had been an eventful day.

"Let's get some rest guys. You two crashing here?" Snake asked as he gathered the living room into some sort of order. Fox and Eagle nodded, each grabbing a couch and getting comfortable.

"Cub, come on. I'll show you the guest room." Wolf said as he stood, stretching. Alex followed him to a small room down the hall. He landed on the bed as soon as he saw it, giving a groan at how comfortable it was. Wolf chuckled.

"If you need anything, my rooms the last on the right, Snake's is right across from this one. The bathroom is the next door over. Need anything before I go?" Wolf asked, watching the kid kick off his shoes.

"No, I'm ok. Thanks, Wolf." Alex looked up at the older man, smiling his gratitude. Wolf nodded before heading out, closing the door quietly before heading to his room.

* * *

That night, Alex was assaulted by nightmares, many the same from the night before. They involved K-unit, Jack, even the Pleasures. He wasn't fast enough, strong enough. He watched Jack get swept up in a sandstorm, never to be found again. He watched K-unit get lost on the ocean, giant waves threatening to tip over their small boat. He watched the Pleasures get caught up in a robbery gone wrong. He was forced to stand and watch them get lost forever, rooted to the spot he stood, no way of reaching them. It was like his feet were cemented down into the ground. He couldn't scream for help, the Sargent stood with his back turned to the lake as the dark clouds rumbled over the lake, his voice refused to work.

In reality, the boy tossed and turned, body caught within his sheets. Tears ran down his face and sweat trickled down his back as he tried to reach out for Jack, but his wrists got tangled. A choked scream made its way up his throat, sounding strangled and desperate. There was no peaceful rest for the boy.

* * *

Wolf just opened his door to get a glass of water, passing by Snake's and the guest room, currently inhabited by Cub doors, when he heard a choked, garbled yell. He stopped, frowning. It came again and from Cub's room. He moved closer to the door, sticking his ear up to the door. A rustling was heard, then more choked yells. Wolf frowned more, opening the door slowly, seeing Cub trapped within his sheets, writhing on the bed, arm trying to reach out towards the ceiling. He instantly knew the kid was trapped within a nightmare. He walked slowly, quietly, towards the bed, kneeling down at Cub's head. He has never really been the one to wake the boy up from his nightmares but has watched Snake and Fox do it. He gently placed a hand on Cub's shoulder, his heart breaking some when the kid whimpered when he made contact. He gave a small shake, hoping the boy would wake. Nothing happened.

"Cub?" Wolf whispered, giving another small shake. The boy whimpered, new tears sliding down his face.

"Cub?"Wolf tried, a litter louder, shaking a little harder.

Cub shot up, scaring Wolf a little bit. Cub panted, hands shaking from the nightmares. His eyes darted around wildly till they landed on Wolf. It seemed that Cub's barriers broke in that moment. He dove into Wolf's arms, almost knocking the man backward. He tucked his head into Wolf's shoulder, crying.

"Don't let them take me back" Cub gasped out between sobs, his whole body shaking.

Wolf rubbed his back, trying to comfort the kid. "I swear, if it is the last thing I do, I will keep you from them, I promise." Wolf tightened his grip on Cub, letting the boy cry.


	18. This Place Was a Shelter

**A/N- Hey guys. So first off: I'm super super super sorry for how long it took me to update this. Between school, and just some other personal things, life has been hectic, and I haven't had a lot of time to write for myself. I'm trying to get better to almost schedule in time for writing and just generally taking time for myself, so I'm hoping to update my frequently now. But I'm making no promises. But that leads me to the next quick thing I wanted to mention- thank you for being so patient, and for those who sent me PMs, thank you for your kind words, it really means a lot! My schedule has been super crazy throughout October and will be getting worse through November, so your kind words, letting me know its ok that it is taking longer to update, really helps me not worry as much. That being said- if you are ever curious to know when a chapter may be coming out, or just want to talk, please send me a message! Id love to talk to some of you!**

 **Alright, I'm done talking now :)**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

The next morning, Alex walked out into the living room, rubbing his eyes. Fox stood at the stove, cooking something that smelled delicious. Eagle already had a cup of coffee in his hands, much to the unit's displeasure on such a quiet morning. Snake sat at the breakfast bar, quietly flipping through some textbook, making notes in the margins every few minutes. Wolf sat, watching one of the news channels, sipping his coffee. Fox, noticing Alex first, waved with his spatula.

"Mornin' Cub. Breakfast will be ready in about 10 minutes." Alex nodded, picking a mug from the counter and making himself a cup of coffee.

"Smells good." Alex went and sat next to Wolf, watching the news with little interest.

Wolf grumbled a hello, never a morning person until he had at least 3 cups of coffee in him. He sat watching the news with a small look of disgust on his face.

"It's all just violence and anger," Wolf grumbled into his coffee.

Alex chuckled softly and sipped his drink. Fox started plating the food and announced that breakfast was ready. Wolf got up, his joints creaking like an old chair.

"God I'm old," he grumbled, making his way to the dining table, sitting down heavily. Alex stood up and sat next to Snake, who looked to be going over some notes as he absent-mindedly shoveled eggs into his mouth. Eagle, on the other hand, seemed to be the only one that was not a zombie at 9:30 am. He ate adamantly, talking with his mouth open, gesturing wildly with his fork. Fox gave him a small glare when some of Eagle's eggs landed on his plate.

"Come on man!" Fox screeched, pushing the lively man away from him.

"What?" Eagle questioned Fox, turning to face him, face innocent. Fox just rolls his eyes, finishing his breakfast quickly. The men quickly ate, and cleaned up from their meal, then made their way to the living room. They all sat down with a heavy sigh, watching the muted news channel.

"So Cub, what have you been doing since '6 took you away?" Snake ventured.

Alex shrugged, tapping his phone a few times. "Nothing. Honestly. It's kind of weird...and makes me uneasy, but they just showed me my room, and left me be."

Alex watched a frown cross of Ben's face. "It is weird. And the fact that you just slipped out from under them yesterday. Something doesn't seem right, but I don't know what."

Eagle threw a pillow at Fox. "Maybe Cub is just too good! You and your paranoid spy senses!"

"I don't know, I don't think he is being paranoid." Alex defended Fox, wringing his hands.

"Well it is the agency that manipulated you into working for them, putting your life at risk and sent you all over the world on suicide missions..so of course it doesn't seem like a paranoid statement to you." Snake stated.

"No, not even that. Blunt has kept a careful watch on me since day 1. Everywhere I went, he knew. Even when I thought I escaped them, he knew where I was. So, yeah, I'm concerned about what they are planning honestly." The group sat in silence after Alex spoke. No one was sure what to do, or if it was even safe to leave the house.

* * *

The day past quietly, each unit member biding their time. So when a loud knock sounded against the wooden door, it shook all of them, not like they would admit it. Wolf motioned everyone to take a position, grabbing a pistol he kept stashed in the kitchen counter. He crept towards the door, putting the gun behind it, and opened it just enough to see who was on the other side. He saw two men, both dressed to the nines, but to Wolf's trained eye, he saw three guns on them, each.

"How can I help you, gentlemen?" Wolf drawled, keeping his body in tight to the door.

"Give up Rider, and MI6 will not press any charges against you." The one suit grumbled, obviously trying to intimidate Wolf by puffing out his chest.

"I don't know what you are talking about. I don't know a Rider." Wolf decided to play stupid was just going to make them angrier, but when anger takes over, people make mistakes as their combat instructor was always telling them.

"Of course you do, Nathan. We know he is here. Just let him go, and it will make it easier on everyone."

Eagle came closer, overhearing the end of the conversation.

"What's going on?" Eagle questioned, just poking his head above Wolf's shoulder.

"We know Rider is here. Give him up. We know everything about you and your unit Nathan. You cannot keep hiding from MI6. And we know Daniels is here too. We know he can hear is. If he doesn't surrender himself and the boy, he will be charged from treason."

Eagle was stunned the men would go so far, but then remembered Cub telling them stories of the way Blunt would manipulate him into working for them.

Ben came over to the door as well, not being able to see who was at the door, but knowing the situation was not good.

"So, unless you want your friend to be charged for treason, I would suggest surrendering them both."

Wolf made a face, then decided to screw everything to hell, and hoped he wouldn't hate him afterward.

"Your trespassing. Get off my property." Wolf sneered at them, hoping it would work. The MI6 men shared a look, smirked, and nodded.

"We see. We will be back tomorrow to collect them, whether they come willingly or not." And with that, they both left, Wolf, slamming the door shut with a growl.

"Screw MI6! Screw everything! Wolf shouted, waving his hands, forgetting the pistol was in his right hand, until Eagle calmy took his wrist, unsure if the safety was off or not, and took the firearm from his grip. Wolf continued to rant and wave his arms around, pissed off. Cub came out of his room, where he was hiding with Snake in case someone decided to attack them.

"What just happened?" Alex asked as he watched Wolf huff and puff. Fox looked like he had seen a ghost, and Eagle was putting away the pistol. Snake stood behind Alex, wondering the same.

"MI6...they were at the door," Eagle explained, facing the side table, extremely serious for once in his life. "They...they were looking for you Cub. And they said they knew everything about us...and said if Fox and you didn't go with them..tomorrow, they would take you two by force, and charge Fox with treason." Eagle seemed quite shaken up.

"They cant just...burst into the house!" Snake protested, watching the three members who were present for the interaction with the suits.

"They will think of some way to make it seem legit," Fox muttered softly, looking at his feet. "I don't want to get you guys in any trouble, or cause any mess..." he started before Wolf cut him off.

"Just shut up Ben!" Wolf growled. "No one is going anywhere. I'm don't with '6 thinking they can just push you and Cub around like chess pieces! Threatening to charge one of their best agents with treason! Ridiculous!" Wolf paced in the kitchen, trying to think of a solution that didn't involve all of them changing their names and moving to Siberia.

"That's...that's what they do Wolf. They push and push until there is nothing left to do besides stumble, and then they give you the illusion that they caught you. Instead, you walked right into their trap. If they want something, they will push hard enough for it, and frankly, they will do whatever it takes, including putting each of you in jail, to make sure I'm under their control." Cub spoke quietly, but strongly, telling the truth through experience. "In some ways, there's nothing we can do. They will find a way around everything." Cub sounded hopeless to everyone's ears, and it made each member of K-unit remember why they fought so hard to get the kid back. And what the kid has gone through in these past few months.

"No." Snake spoke, loud and clear, walking around Alex so the unit could all see him, including Alex. "We are not giving up. We will not let them win. Cub, you will not be going back to that organization, not over my dead body, I promise you that." Snake was looking intently at Alex as he made his promise.

"I wouldn't make promises you can't keep" Alex muttered quietly, about to turn back to go to his room to pack his stuff. "It'll be better for everyone if I just go willingly. That way they won't bother you anymore."

"Alex stop" Ben called, "This is not hopeless. We just need to think outside the box."

"I'm going to go make a call," Wolf said, grabbing his phone, heading to his room and slamming the door shut. The unit watched their leader storm off. Snake sighed, sitting heavily on one of the couches, grabbing his laptop to start to do some research. Eagle joined him, turning on one of those fake fireplace channels with soft music on, hoping to help dispel the air of tension. It didn't work. Alex went to his room. Fox stood in the center of the house, face in his hands.


	19. The Waiting Game

**A/N- Well...I have no excuse. I'm sorry this took so long. I hope you enjoy this chapter though, and I hope to begin writing more again.**

* * *

Wolf didn't leave his room for hours. Snake and Eagle kept their faces buried within their laptops, only whispering to each other cryptic message they only understood. Fox flipped through a journal and stared at the wall. Alex didn't leave his room either.

Dinner was a quiet and quick affair, each member grabbing a plate of take-out Chinese and retreating back to their spots in the house. No one spoke to each other, but Wolf had a glint in his eye that spoke volumes.

That night, each member went to bed, a firearm close by. No one really slept.

* * *

They didn't come the next day. The unit sat in the front room, plan and battle ready. Each member, including Alex, was armed and had a way to communicate with each other in case they got separated. Before breakfast, they had gone over an attack and escape plan, but as midday approached, they found themselves waiting. Fox paced, Snake checked his bag, Eagle flipped a coin, Alex fiddled with a pen, and Wolf went over the plan, over and over again. Every time the wind or an animal made a noise, they jumped into a ready position, ready to attack. But nothing ever came. It made Alex sick to his stomach, knowing this is what MI6 wants. They want them waiting long enough to put their guard down. He paced as well.

* * *

Dinner came and went, but no one was hungry. Alex and Fox paced. Wolf was ready to just go straight to '6 himself. Eagle had lost 5 coins already. Snake had moved onto reading his textbook again, the only sound was the soft _ping_ of Eagle's coin, footfalls from the two men pacing, and Snake's pencil.

* * *

Night fell, and it was decided that maybe they were waiting to sneak Alex out at night. A watch would be set up. Wolf took first shift, sending everyone to bed. He paced. And texted an unlisted number. And paced some more.

Wolf was startled when a hand landed on his shoulder, almost breaking the wrist of the offender when he heard a pained "Wolf! Mercy Mercy!"

Wolf aborted his attack to see Snake holding his wrist behind him.

"Sorry, jumpy" Wolf sighed, rubbing the back of his neck.

Snake nodded, then gestured to the couch for them both to sit. "Let's talk." They both sat, looking at the coffee table in front of them, listening to the wind howl outside for a minute before Snake spoke up again. "You were on the phone for a while yesterday. Can I ask what that was about?"

Wolf sighed, knowing his unit would notice his extended absence, and if they were working on ideas, they would want to know his. "I was making a phone call to a friend who owes me a favor, but works for an adoption agency."

"You're gonna try to adopt Alex before '6 tries and takes him?"

Wolf nods. "If I can get guardianship of him, then legally they cannot take him. But this issue is, they technically are his current guardian. But not his adopters. So his adopted father would take precedence over guardianship" Wolf explained. Snake gave him a blank, confused look. "Yeah, it took me a while to understand it too. Don't worry about it. I know what I'm doing."

"Do you Wolf? You have never had family stability your whole life. Will you be able to give that to Cub?"

"Honestly, I don't think the kid cares if he has a normal family. He just wants to be protected from MI6, and we can do that. And, we can understand him. We know what he has gone through, and we can help him. We have similar experiences."

Snake nodded, looking down. "I get that, I do. But we don't exactly have the best life to care of a kid"

"He's not a kid though Snake." Wolf ran a hand through his hair, taking a deep breath. "He is defiantly not a kid anymore. And, to be honest, I think he would go stir crazy if we kept him from training with us still. I think he really does enjoy it because he's not doing it while running for his life. He gets to do it to improve, something he hasn't been able to do in a while."

Snake sat there, deep in thought, nodding slightly. "You might be right, but you should also give him the option, which is something that had been taken away from him too."

"Of course! It would be stupid of me not to!"

Snake raised his eyebrows. " 'My way or the highway' ring a bell?"

"One time, that was one time!" Wolf softens his voice "You know I always try and get your guy's opinion on decisions, especially out in the field."

Snake nodded, then lightly punched Wolf on the shoulder. "I'm joking with you man. "

Wolf smiles, then laughs. "Yeah, I know."

* * *

Morning followed an uneventful night, Alex crawling out of bed, hair tousled from sleep. He rambled into the living room, where Fox was once again making breakfast. He answered the round of 'Mornings!' with his own, collapsing into one of the dining room chairs to wait for what smelled like eggs and bacon. He muttered 'thanks' to Fox as the man set a plate down in front of him once it was ready. Alex blearly ate his food, everyone else quiet as well, the only sound was forks and knives scraping against the plates. Wolf was uncharacteristically quiet, keeping his face down.

"We should pack up, maybe head back to camp. The Sargent would help us," Eagle suggested.

"If they don't try to stop us, I have a feeling they are watching our every move, waiting for us to leave the house" Fox muttered into his eggs, dark bags growing under his eyes. "They're gonna try and wait us out. Either till we go crazy, or run out of food here. They know we will have to leave eventually..." Fox trailed off, shoveling more eggs in his mouth.

"We could call the Sargent, let him know the '6 has us cornered" Snake suggested, grabbing his phone.

"They may be watching our phones, if they find out we are getting help, or know our plan, everything is ruined." Fox chimed in again. Everyone took his word for it.

* * *

Breakfast was cleaned up quickly, and the unit sat down in the living room, watching the news. No one spoke for an hour, everyone doing their own thing again. Wolf watched the TV, back straight, ready to jump into action. Eagle twidled with some wooden puzzle, Fox was flipping through some files, and Snake was reading. Alex sat, playing on his phone. He was bored, wanted to get outside and run around, but knew that was not going to happen. He also knew the rest of the unit wanted to get outside as well but were just hiding it well. A knock on the door knocked them all out of their stupor. Again, Alex was rushed into his room, Snake with him to protect him should they be overrun. Wolf grabbed his pistol, putting it against the door, opening it slowly. He was shocked to see no one standing there. What was there was a white envelope. Wolf picked it up slowly, keeping an eye on his surroundings as he did. He closed the door and turned around.

"It's safe" he called out to everyone, mostly Snake and Alex. Both walked out of Alex's room, seeing the envelope in Wolf's hands. Wolf opened it slowly, unsure of what tricks '6 would play. Wolf read it silently first, needing to know what it said before giving his unit the news.

 _Nathan,_

 _We know that you have holed you and your unit up inside your house. This ends either two ways. Either you come out willingly, giving us Rider and Daniels, or we will not hesitate to break down the door and forcibly take them. You are currently harboring a traitor to the country and a runaway minor. If you decide to try to run away, charges will be brought on you and the rest of your unit as well. Do not try to outsmart us, Nathan, it will not work. Give them up, and we will leave you alone. We will be back tomorrow, 8 am to retrieve them. We expect your full cooperation._

 _Sincerely,_

 _Alan Blunt_

 _MI6_

Wolf finished reading, a slow bubble of rage building.

"What does it say?" Eagle demands, almost ripping the paper out of his hands.

"They are going to be here tomorrow morning. For Cub and Fox. Says if we don't give them up they will just take them by force, and we will be charged as well. Also not to try and outsmart them..."

"This is bullshit!" Fox yells, restraining himself from punching a wall.

"Getting angry is only going to cause us to make mistakes!" Wolf scolded Fox, putting the letter down, and putting his head in his hands. "Look, I get it. We need to figure something out in less than 24 hours, and it feels like we have no options other than go out shooting. But there has to be some other way."

Everyone quieted down, Fox breathing the only sound filling the room. Alex sat staring at the table, wishing for all of this to end.

* * *

No one came up with anything for a while. The unit made a list of all members of the SAS they could confide in, safe houses, and printed out maps of the surrounding areas.

"We need to send someone to see if there are any agents around, or if they are bluffing," Fox mentioned. "They could totally be bluffing to make us stay here till morning, and then surround us. If we go out and see that no one is around, we can get away. We can make some good time before they realize we are gone."

After some debate, they sent Eagle out to recon the area. He was gone for about an hour. In that hour, the rest of the unit spent their time in anxious silence, no one speaking.

When he came back, he had a grim face. "They are at every major intersection. There is no obvious way to escape in the car. We could try to go through the trees behind the building, but who's to say they are not back there either."

Everyone sighed in defeat, hanging their heads.

"We gotta do something! It is 3 pm. We are running out of time," Snake huffed

"I'll go back out and check the tree line" With that, Eagle left again, leaving the stunned unit.

* * *

The unit waited for another hour before a red-faced, excited Eagle came running back into the house.

"There are nowhere for miles back through the tree line! I ran all the way to the farm 2 miles behind here. No one!"

"Are you positive?" Wolf asked, standing up, willing the hope crawling up his throat to go back down.

"Positive," Eagle affirmed, nodding his head.

Wolf nodded, then looked at his unit. "Right. Pack your stuff. We leave at dusk."

Everyone jumped into action.


	20. Run and Hide

They never got the chance. Somehow, MI6 was tipped. As the unit packed their stuff quickly, a single shot ripped through the front door, leaving a small hole right where the peephole would be. Everyone jumped into action, grabbing any available weapon, preparing for a shoot out. The older members shouted at each other, and took up positions in the front room, making sure they had themselves behind cover. Alex dived into his room, grabbing the single weapon he had. Snake followed him, shoving a backpack filled with a set of clothing, jacket and some rations.

"Run!" Snake yelled, pushing Alex out of the back window, after checking to make sure they were not surrounded. Alex vaulted through the window, running for the tree line Eagle had mentioned when he checked the area out. He heard some shouting from the front, but ignored it in favor of breaking into the tree line, and hiding. He took a moment to glance back, making sure that he wasn't followed, but also to check to see if any of the other men were following him. He didn't see anyone, and only heard a few cracks of gunfire, which died down quickly. Alex wanted to check in on the other members of K-unit, especially Ben, since '6 was after him as well, but saw someone he didn't recognize start to come around the side of the house. He knew this to be an agent and silently escaped through the trees.

* * *

Wolf was making sure the bags they packed were lightweight enough they could run for a while with them, but still had all the necessary components to survive if they were going to be on the run. The other members were mapping routes of escape, ways to get back to camp on foot, and watching out the windows. So when the shot came through the door, it nearly made him jump out of his skin. He grabbed his handgun, diving behind the half wall that separated the kitchen and the dining room, making sure his unit got undercover as well. He shouted to his unit to position them in the best spot and then yelled at Snake to make sure Alex got out of here. As quickly as it all started, the house went quiet. Wolf kept his weapon trained on the door, having faith the others were doing the same. The door opened slowly, showing 5 agents, dressed in riot gear, rifles pointed into the room.

"Stand up and put your hands in the air!" one shouted, voice gruff. Wolf shook his head slowly to his unit. They stayed still and quiet as the agents moved into the room. When one was close enough, Wolf swiped his feet from out from under him, wrapped his arm around his neck to choke him unconscious. They were not looking to kill anybody, and the rest of the unit moved in and silently and efficiently took out the other 4 agents that roamed the house in similar manners.

* * *

Alex ran until his legs felt like they were going to fall off, and his lungs were on fire. He kept mostly to the woods, making sure to keep as quiet as possible and kept checking that no one was following him. He kept running, hoping K-unit was ok and was making there way to meet him. Eventually, Alex couldn't keep running, adrenaline wearing off, and he slid to a stop. He leaned up against a tree, panting hard and wiping sweat from his face. He kept an ear out for all the noises around him, especially footsteps.

* * *

After the unit took out the agents inside the house, they grabbed their bags and leaped out the same window Snake had pushed Alex. They all took off running, not knowing how many there were. As soon as they reached the tree line, they split up, all running in the same general direction, but Wolf mentioned it would be easier to escape than in a group. The unit quickly agreed, all taking off in different directions.

* * *

Alex heard footsteps coming up behind him and quickly ducked behind a tree. He peeked out, seeing a man dressed in a black jacket and jeans, but couldn't see his face. Alex cocked his gun, ready to use it should this man present as an enemy. The man heard the small _click_ that gave way of not only Alex's position but of his weapon. The man stepped closer, drawing his weapon as well.

* * *

Eagle found himself at the edge of the woods, stumbling over fallen branches and rocks. He slowed down, searching the area for his unit when he heard the very distinct and soft sound of a weapon's hammer being pulled back. Eagle instantly pulled his own gun out, narrowing into where the sound came from. He slowly approached the tree stump.

"Come out with your hands up, and you won't be shot!" he demanded, raising his weapon, maybe only half lying.

"E-Eagle?" a voice he recognized came from behind the stump.

"Cub?" Alex stood, putting the safety back on his gun.

"Eagle!" Alex walked over to the man. "What happened back there?" Eagle recounted the events of what happened in the house as they walked.

"We gotta go meet up with everyone else, just got to find them first." Eagle walked, looking at the ground for any tracks while Alex kept his eyes up for any people. Every time the wind moved the branches above their heads, or an animal skittered through the leaves beneath their feet, they both jumped into a ready position, breaths held, waiting for the enemy to show themselves. They walked without talking, not wanting to give their position away should they stumble upon another human.

* * *

Wolf crept through the woods, keeping his weapon raised and at the ready. He held his breath, the sun going down presenting both an opportunity and a problem. Hopefully him, and what he also hoped would be the rest of the unit, would be able to sneak out through the other side of the forest before MI6 realized where they escaped to. But '6 had their gear with them, which included heat scanners and night vision, which would make it impossible to escape if they armed themselves with those technologies. He heard feet crunching on the forest floor, and quickly ducked in a bush, waiting for the pair to pass before creeping out behind them. He was about to attack and knock them out when he got a better look.

"Might want to be more aware of your surroundings" he whispered, wanting to scare the two men, but also remembering the needed to stay quiet.

Snake and Fox both jumped, turning around, guns pointed at Wolf's head and center of body. Wolf disarmed himself and put his hands up, a smirk on his face.

"God Wolf! You scared us!" Fox cried softly, putting his own weapon down, Snake following suit.

"Guess you haven't found the other two runaways huh?" Snake asked, looking around the woods, trying to spot Eagle or Cub. Wolf shook his head.

"Just you two bumbling idiots." Fox punched him lightly, and they started back on the trail, looking for any sign of someone passing through there.

By the time they reached the edge of the woods, luckily the far side, it was about fully dark.

"We can't just leave them in there." Snake huffed, sitting down, not wanting to leave a man behind.

"They could have already made a run for it" Fox shrugged, not sure whether to believe it or not.

"Eagle would have either had to have found Cub, or they are still separated," Wold said, scanning the treeline. "We could still be looking for two men separately."

" And we cant make camp here, not with '6 breathing down our necks" Snake sighed, picking at his boot lace. The three men sat in a circle throwing ideas back and forth at each other, from splitting up again to just staying where they were till the missing members found them, till close to midnight. At a lull in the conversation, all three men got shocked into action when the sharp _crack_ of gunfire disrupted the peace of the night. Birds scattered, animals whined. The men grabbed their weapons, and raced into the woods again, hoping their missing members were on the offensive.


	21. Lucky to Have You

**A/N: Uhhh...I'm really sorry guys! I started writing this near the end of my semester, then finals happened, and then I was trying to get this out before I went on my study abroad, and that didn't happen (I got to go to England, Scotland and Wales!) and when I came back, by computer completely crashed on me, and I had to wait a little bit before I got a new one. And then I started a new job, which involves an hour commute each way. I'm sorry it is so short,( and possibly very crappy) but I wanted to get something out for you guys. I promise I didn't drop off the face of the earth! So with that being said, I hope you enjoy, and I will try to get the next chapter out quicker!**

* * *

Alex and Eagle were walking through the woods, hopping over logs and ducking under branches when the first bullet whizzed past their ears. Both shared a look before booking it in the other direction, dodging the best the could, making themselves a harder target. Alex pulled branches down from trees to obscure their pursuers view of them, while Eagle returned a few shots in the direction the gunfire came from. Both were looking behind them as they ran, unaware of the three men running towards them, who both Eagle and Alex ran headfirst into.

"Mother-!"

"Wolf, language!"

"What in the hell?"

"Cub! Eagle!"

"Guys we gotta get outta here quick!"

Alex, Eagle, Wolf, and Ben picked themselves up from the mud and continued running towards the edge of the woods. The gunshots had died down, even with Wolf's yelling. The unit plowed through the low hanging trees to burst out into the clearing on the other side of the woods. They didn't stop there, instead, they continued, staying close to the trees that lined the right side of the clearing in case MI6 found them. They would be sitting ducks running through an open field. When they finally reached a road, they slowed, catching their breaths, turning to Wolf to see what the next steps were. Wolf was deep in thought, surveying where they had ended up at.

"Now what?" Eagle dared to ask, glancing over his shoulder anxiously, hiking his backpack further up.

"We need to get in contact with the Sargent, I think he will help us," Wold stated, nodding his head as if to give himself confidence. Ben pulled out his phone, dialing the number quickly. Every other member stood at attention, keeping a keen eye out for any approaching enemy.

"Hello?" Ben asked when he heard the line click.

Ben quickly explained the situation after verifying who he was, watching his unit for any sign of danger. It was oddly quiet by the road, and it gave him a bad feeling. He quickly recounted the events, shoulders tense, eyes scanning the horizon behind and in front of them. There was a moment of silence from everyone as Ben listened to the person on the other side of the phone, nodding periodically. Eventually, he sighed in relief.

"T-Thank you, sir, we will see you soon." Ben hung up and faced the rest of the men. "We need to head to the next town over, not too far from here. Once there, we need to call again to find out how to get picked up."

Eagle snorted in quiet laughter, Ben rolled his eyes. "Not like that you child. Lets go." Ben headed off in the direction the sign pointed to the closest town. The group walked as hidden as possible. Luckily the road was surrounded by woods on both sides, which allowed the unit to hide within the trees and still walk alongside the road.

* * *

About 20 minutes of walking later, the unit stumbled upon a small little town. They stayed hidden and surveyed first, making sure '6 hadn't found the town first. When they suspected they were safe, they shuffled into the town, keeping their heads down. First, they headed towards the only inn in the town. They paid for 2 rooms, hoping the owner of the inn didn't think they were too suspicious with their huddled heads and low voices as they conversed. After taking their keys, they headed up the stairs, where Wolf complained that he would not be paired with Eagle tonight.

"I do not care if I have to sleep on the floor if I have to spend a night in one of these rooms with that man, I will jump out a window!"Wolf dramatically exclaimed though they all knew he, in fact, would not sleep on the floor either. The two rooms were across from each other, and the 5 men gathered inside the tripled room, to figure out what to do next, and to find out who is bunking with who.

"Ok, we need to call back to camp, and find out how the hell we are getting out of here and-"

"I need foooddd." Eagle started to whine from the bed he had laid in, hanging his head over the edge. "We need to get fooooddd."

Wolf rolled his eyes, taking a deep breath. "Fine, and find some dinner, and figure out who is bunking with who." Wolf glanced at his men, getting a few nods of agreement.

* * *

After much argument, it was decided that Snake, Wolf, and Alex would room together in the triple, while Ben and Eagle would room in the double across the hall. Then they decided to send Wolf out to get food from the take out place across the street. While waiting for him to come back, Ben called back, giving the Sargent their location, and their orders on how to proceed.

15 minutes later saw the unit eating together in the small, beat up triple room, but it alright because no one was hurt.

"Sarge said to stay here until he sends out another unit to pick us up. Should be here by noon tomorrow," Ben mentioned as he ate the Chinese food they got. Wolf just nodded.

After eating, they stayed in the same room, watching TV and talking, all 5 too keyed up to go to sleep yet with the threat of MI6 still so close. Eventually it got late, and Alex passed out first.

"I just wanted to let you guys know, when this is all over, I am trying to adopt Cub, that way '6 can never touch him again."

Snake smiled, giving Wolf a friendly punch. Eagle smacked him on the back with a 'congrats', and Ben smiled, laid his hand on Wolf's shoulder, and said "I know you will take care of him. He deserves it, and you may find you actually like taking care of someone." The 4 older men laughed at that. Soon it was midnight, and Ben and Eagle retired to their room, while Wolf and Snake turned to their beds.

Before they both drifted off, Snake quietly muttered, "I'm glad you're going through with it. He is lucky to have you."

"He is lucky to have all of us" Wolf yawned, and drifted off to sleep.


End file.
